Her Phantom
by GemNika
Summary: Lucy joins Phantom Lord after running away from the Konzern. She's confident, knows what she wants in life, and can't help but enjoy how easy it is to aggravate this red-eyed Dragon Slayer. Follow Lucy's struggles in Phantom Lord and the resultant war with Fairy Tail. Will she ever really be accepted and loved? (Note: this is rated M for a reason, please read at your own risk).
1. Lucy of Phantom Lord

**A/N: Alright, everyone. This is going to be my attempt at a GaLu (AU) where Lucy joins Phantom Lord instead of Fairy Tail. Obviously, there will be some changes to the main story, like where she gets certain keys and all that, along with her being slightly ooc (hello, confident and snarky Lucy) but I hope you enjoy it regardless! Wish me luck!**

**(I don't own Fairy Tail…)**

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><p>Lucy sighed heavily as she trekked through the forest, using a long gnarled walking stick that was similar to the one that Bero, her Celestial magic tutor while she lived with her father, used to poke and prod at the surrounding greenery. As she pushed through yet another thicket of thorny bushes, wincing lightly when they dragged across her creamy thighs and made faint scratches on her skin, Lucy finally saw the bright, cloudless summer sky gleaming above her. She came upon a small clearing just before the town that lay ahead of her, and sat down on the lush green grass to take a small sip of water and rest her weary bones. "Oak Town," she said with a smile. "Looks like I might get a chance to join a guild today."<p>

She had always wanted to join Fairy Tail, ever since she saw an article about their crazy antics in a newspaper that her father hadn't gotten a chance to hide from her, but had decided it would be smarter to stop at each guild along the way from the Heartfilia Konzern to Magnolia—where Fairy Tail was allegedly located—and see if she might prefer to join another guild. She had a good bit of money that she had taken from her father's estate, but she knew it wouldn't last forever. She needed a place to live, and hardly had more than the clothes on her back and the small bag she had been able to take with her. If she didn't like the guild she joined, she could always just move on and go after her dream of joining Fairy Tail anyway. It had already been several months since she left her father's estate, having run away in the middle of the night, but Lucy had spent the majority of that time sight-seeing and spending her nights under the stars; she only spent one night a week in a hotel so she could get a nice hot bath and sleep in a bed for a change, so that she could save as much money as possible until she found a way to make more.

After several minutes of basking in the warm sunlight and light breeze that brushed through her hair, Lucy stood up with renewed determination gleaming in her eyes. She made her way through the town, asking people along the way how to get to the closest guild, Phantom Lord. They didn't exactly have the best reputation when it came to things like being merciful or kind, but they were very well-known for getting the job done no matter what. '_I might not entirely agree with the rumors of how they do things, but I want to help people. It doesn't matter what guild I'm in, as long as I can use my magic without worrying about being judged for it.' _Lucy hoped she wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb, since she was still trying to get used to the freedom that she had made for herself by running away. Every once in a while her demeanor would revert back to that of an heiress, as if it was her natural state of being, and Lucy had to remind herself that she didn't need to hide who she was any longer.

"It's right around this corner, dear," an elderly woman with a red scarf tied around her head to contain her frizzy gray hair said. "I don't know why such a young and sweet thing like you would be looking for them, but that's where they are."

Lucy smiled warmly down at the woman, clasping her hands together in front of her chest excitedly, and said, "I'm hoping they'll let me join their guild!"

The woman took a small step back, shock clearly written across her face, "W-Well, then. If that's what you think is best, dear child. Please be safe."

Lucy tilted her head to the side in confusion as the older woman made a hasty retreat, and just before she turned the corner, she saw a small magic shop. With a wide and hopeful smile, Lucy walked in, and hearing a jingling, looked up to see a small bell alerting the owner to her entrance. "Hello, sir," Lucy said with a grin, "Do you happen to have any Celestial Spirit keys?"

"Oh, a Celestial mage?" the shopkeeper asked with an intrigued grin, pushing his chin-length auburn hair away from his face to show a pair of brilliant sky-blue eyes and pale skin that was blotted with freckles. "We don't get many of you anymore."

Lucy blushed and nodded, "Yes, my mom was one and gave her keys to me when she passed. I'm hoping to eventually own all of the Zodiac keys! It would be wonderful to have so many friends if I had their keys!" Lucy paused in her rant and blushed a deeper shade of red, smiling sheepishly, "I'm sorry, I tend to ramble when it comes to them."

"What is your name, dear?" he asked.

"Lucy, sir!" she chirped. When the man put a hand across the counter, she immediately grasped it and gave him a firm and confident handshake.

"Malthus. Nice to meet you, Lucy!" he said warmly. "I don't mind the rambling; it's nice to hear someone talking about Spirits like they're more than a possession. An old family friend was a Celestial mage like you, and he felt the same way as you do. He wasn't very powerful, but he treasured all of the keys he had as if they were his family."

Lucy's grin widened and her eyes twinkled with delight. "See? I knew I wasn't the only one!"

Malthus' laugh was light-hearted, and then he glanced around the store to make sure no other customers were inside. Once he assured they were alone, he reached under the counter and pulled out an old wooden box from the bottom of a large stack of papers. He placed it on the counter, putting a finger to his lips to tell Lucy to stay silent, then opened it and watched her jaw drop and her eyes go wide. "He wanted me to give these to someone that would treat them right," he whispered. "I've only got one key that's for sale, but it's not more of a companion Spirit so no one really grabs it when they're in the market for keys."

"Wow," Lucy whispered in awe. There, nestled in the green velvet lining of the wooden box on the counter, were three Zodiac keys: the Maiden, Virgo; the Golden Bull, Taurus; and the Archer, Sagittarius. "Whoever gets these keys would be lucky to have them."

"Then it looks like this is your lucky day, Lucy," Malthus said as he pushed the box towards the young blonde. "Uncle Bero would be happy to know that there's someone like you with his keys. Please take them."

_'BERO?!'_ Lucy screeched internally, '_Maybe it's just a coincidence. He never had any keys when he was teaching me.'_ "A-Are you sure? I could buy them from you," she said, looking back up to Malthus with a sweet smile.

"No no, they're a gift."

"Then how much for the key you have for sale?" Lucy asked.

Malthus pulled out the small silver key and said, "For someone like you? 10,000 Jewels."

Lucy smiled at the little silver key and said, "It's a deal." Once she handed him the money, Malthus gave her the three golden keys along with the silver and bid her a good day as she left, putting the keys on her key ring until she had a chance to make contracts with them. Once she was outside of the small magic shop, the day seemed to hold even more promise than before, and Lucy hummed softly while she made her way to the place she hoped would become her new home.

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><p>Gajeel wasn't in the mood to deal with anything that day. His latest mission had been far too simple, with the guild he had been ordered to take out not having a single mage that was capable of withstanding more than a couple of hits from him before collapsing. The pay was decent, and there wasn't anything on the request about letting them live, so he ended up not having to deal with any Rune Knights either. He made his way through town, scowling at the few people that didn't jump out of his way fast enough, and even letting out a low growl to ward off and scare smaller children to tears. '<em>Hey, gotta find something to pass the time.'<em> What he really wanted, more than anything, was a fight with someone that could handle it and maybe even give him a challenge. It wasn't likely, unless he ran into an S-Class mage from some other guild and could goad them into a sparring match, but the last time he'd done that the piss-ant had run home crying, and he'd been forced to listen to a lecture from Master Jose about 'proper etiquette concerning other guilds' or some other bullshit.

The bustling noises of the streets were starting to grate on his nerves, and the smells wafting from each of the shops he passed wasn't helping. Sure, there was the scent of a bakery or restaurant while they prepared food for their patrons, but his Dragon Slayer abilities also allowed him to smell (and regretfully hear) the guy in the back of that restaurant taking a massive shit. Wholly unpleasant, even if he was just passing through. He made the last turn before he reached the guild, and actually paused for a moment when he found a new scent that seemed to call to him. It smelled like sugar and almonds, sweet and delectable as a whole, but there was some sort of humanistic undertone to it that let him know it was actually a person and not someone's dessert. '_Damn, that smells good,' _he thought as he took a deep whiff of the air, filtering out everything else around him to pinpoint where the scent was coming from. It seemed to linger in front of and around the piddly little magic shop, but he was able to tell that it was headed down the road in the direction of the guild. '_Shit, that'll make it easier to find out who the fuck this is.'_

Gajeel's pace quickened as he got closer to the guild, and finally it was just him and one other person on the street walking towards Phantom Lord. His eyes raked over the voluptuous curves of the blonde in front of him, and he raised a pierced eyebrow while he took in everything he could. A pair of knee-high brown boots covered the lower halves of her slender legs, and his eyes drank in the creamy expanse that was bared before noticing how short her blue pleated skirt was, barely covering her ass and sitting dangerously low on her perfectly flared hips. '_Gotta be a hooker,'_ he thought with disdain, though he couldn't help but notice how his mouth watered just a little when he saw the small dimples on her bare lower back as her hips swayed with each step, and how small her waist was in comparison to everything else. Her arms were petite, holding no form of muscle whatsoever, but with how dainty her wrists were, Gajeel could instantly picture pinning her to a wall with only one hand to hold them both in place. She had what looked like a black vest on and he could just barely see the size of her chest while she walked as it was mostly blocked by her arms. Long blonde hair blocked his view of her face, but he was able to hear a soft tune being hummed as if the woman didn't have a care in the world along with a faint jingling sound of small bits of metal clanging deliciously against themselves. '_Sounds like gold and silver... I could go for a little snack.'_

The blonde's steps slowed just as she reached the doors of the guild, and he growled as he got closer, warning her to get the hell out of his way. Regardless of what she looked or smelled like, he wasn't in the mood even for a quick fuck right then. All he wanted to do was get inside and get his hands on some metal so he could ignore everything else around him. She didn't seem to hear him, and instead turned slightly to smile up at the sign for the guild. "Get the fuck outta the way," he sneered as he shouldered past her, knocking her almost completely off her feet—which was a slight surprise that she hadn't actually fallen over.

"Hey, watch where you're going, asshole!" Lucy shouted as the raven-haired man pushed past her and opened the guild doors. The faint noises coming from inside seemed to have been put on mute when the rest of the guild members heard her, and she scowled at the guy's long head of hair when he stopped dead in his tracks.

Gajeel grinned sadistically and slowly turned around to show this chick just who she was messing with. He couldn't smell an ounce of fear wafting from her, only anger and excitement—though he would have preferred some form of arousal, he could tell that the excitement was most likely from being here at the guild. His red eyes bored into her large chocolate brown orbs and he let out a low growl before saying, "What did ya say to me?"

Lucy sneered and stalked toward the man, silently wondering just why he had so many piercings across his eyebrows, nose, chin, ears, and arms. Once she was directly in front of him, Lucy's sneer turned into an entirely innocent smile while she looked up at him. "I said," she answered in a condescending tone, "Watch. Where. You're. Going. Asshole." Lucy had spent enough time away from her father's home to realize that people were willing to walk all over you to get what they wanted, and she refused to stand by and let someone try and intimidate her. '_This might not be the best first impression for this guild,'_ she thought, '_But I'm not gonna let this guy off the hook so easily.'_

Gajeel leaned down to put his face right in front of hers, listening to the quiet murmurs of the other guild members while they watched the small blonde standing up to him and bared his pointed teeth in a shark-like grin. "I don't take orders from hookers," he ground out.

"Then I guess it's a good thing I'm not a hooker. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to speak with your guildmaster," Lucy replied before sidestepping around him and walking further into the still silent guild. She kept an ear out for what the crude man was going to do, and felt a sense of pride swelling within her that her heartbeat hadn't gone haywire during that off-putting confrontation.

Gajeel growled and spun on his heel, then grabbed the petite blonde roughly and spun her to face him. She glared defiantly at him, a fire burning in her eyes, but she made no move to say anything else. She wasn't afraid of him, and that was something he couldn't understand. No, instead of fear wafting off her like it should be, there was only anger and annoyance. He wrapped one hand around her throat and lifted her off the ground, laughing when she clawed at his hands as he started constricting her airways. Gajeel caught a glimpse of Master Jose standing upstairs, watching them, so he decided to play nice… for now. He leaned in to whisper in her ear, loud enough for only her to hear him, and said, "Don't mistake this for kindness. If I get a chance, I'll make sure ya regret talking back to me, got it Blondie?"

Even though Lucy couldn't breathe, as soon as the man pulled back to look into her eyes, she saw just how much joy he was getting from treating her like a piece of garbage. She tensed her muscles and swung her right fist as hard as she could at his face, and when he took the bait of her distraction, Lucy's foot shot out to kick him in the stomach with enough force to knock the wind out of him. Sadly, the kick to his apparently well-stacked abs hurt her ankle, but she wasn't going to let _him_ know that. His grip loosened on her neck, and Lucy was able to pry herself free and fall to her hands and knees on the ground, coughing and sucking in as much air as possible.

_'Well, **that** was unexpected,'_ Gajeel thought, '_Chick's got some power in her legs.' _Deciding he'd had enough social interactions for the day, Gajeel glowered at the blonde as she slowly rose to her feet, then he glanced up at the second floor where Master Jose was and gave him a brief nod before he turned and stalked past her and went to his table already piled with metal. He roughly sat down on the bench and got to his meal, ignoring everyone else in the room.

Lucy raised an eyebrow at the man as he walked past her, and kept her face neutral to hide her shock and horror when he started eating metal like it was the most normal thing in the world. She turned to face the bar and kept her steps even, although her ankle was already starting to throb and she was sure she had sprained it from kicking him. Once she was at the bar, Lucy smiled kindly at the bartender, and said, "Hey, would it be possible for me to speak with your guildmaster?"

"Why?" the gruff, bald man asked.

"Because I'm interested in joining this guild," Lucy answered, completely undisturbed by his lack of hospitality.

"Why?"

She raised an eyebrow at him and said, "Because I'm a mage, and want to join the guild."

"Why?"

She slowly leaned forward, her face hardening with her growing impatience, and glared at the bald barkeep when his eyes landed on her cleavage and never left. "My eyes are up here, you ass!" she shouted. When his gaze flickered back to hers for a moment before returning to her chest, Lucy lost it. "Can I speak to your guildmaster or not?"

"Why?" he asked absently, drooling over the creamy mounds he was getting an eyeful of.

"THAT'S IT!" she shouted, roughly grabbing his face with one hand and pinching his cheek until her nails dug into his flesh, forcing him to meet her gaze. "Stop staring at my tits and go get your goddamn guildmaster or I'm gonna show you a world of pain you little shit!" Lucy watched his face drain of colour, and pushed him away from her with all the force she possessed, then plopped herself down on a barstool while he scrambled to his feet and ran up to the second floor. '_Honestly, how hard is it to do something so simple?! Maybe it wasn't such a good idea coming to this guild… It looks like I'm the only girl here.'_

Jose watched with amusement as the feisty blonde woman waited for him at the bar. He'd heard the interaction between her and Black Steel Gajeel, and had made his way to the balcony to see what would happen. He was impressed that she hadn't backed down from the Iron Dragon Slayer, but she also seemed to have some form of intelligence since she didn't challenge him directly. She appeared to be tactful, and downright vicious when necessary, but he could tell that she was still very young and _very_ innocent. '_She wants to join this guild,'_ he mused, then looked over at Gajeel who was still chomping away on his scrap metal. '_Gajeel seems to approve.' _Things could have gone sour for the blonde had she not handled herself the way she did, and apparently fighting against Gajeel even a little bit had garnered some form of respect from the anti-social Slayer. Slowly, Jose made his way down the stairs and stood off to the side of the blonde girl, and that was when he saw her keys. '_Oh, a Celestial mage… This could be interesting. If she gets enough keys and works hard, she could be more powerful than even the Element Four.'_

Lucy felt a new set of eyes boring into her and slowly turned to see a tall, pale man with long red hair walking towards her from the stairs. He wore a ridiculous stereotypical wizarding hat in purple that had a Phantom Lord emblem on the front, a matching purple cloak with the Ten Wizard Saints crest pinning the collar together, and what looked like bat wings protruding from the back of his cloak. Based on the reactions of those around her, this had to be the guildmaster. Just before he was standing next to her, Lucy stood up from her seat, gave him her usual radiant smile, and bowed slightly. "Hello, Master. My name is Lucy," she said.

"I've been informed you would like to join my guild," Master Jose said with a wicked grin.

Lucy's smile widened and she nodded emphatically. Deciding to elaborate a little more, she said, "I was planning on joining Fairy Tail, but decided that I should check out other guilds first to make sure I was making the right decision."

"I see," Jose said softly while he appraised her yet again. He stood there for a moment, taking in how scantily clad she was, how she somehow still seemed to ooze innocence even with how little she wore, the determination in her eyes while she spoke, and her confidence while her unwavering gaze met his. Even while she stared into his eyes, which was something that most of the members of his guild wouldn't dare to do, he could see that she was both respectful and submissive to his position of authority. He could also tell that she was telling him the truth with her reason for wanting to join his guild—after years of practice, it was extraordinarily difficult to get a lie past him. "Very well, Lucy. Please follow me."

Gajeel watched the blonde girl jump up and down excitedly, her anger at both himself and the idiot behind the bar instantly disappearing while she spoke with Jose and turning into downright giddiness when he led her up the stairs to get her guild mark. '_Looks like a fuckin' bunny hopping around like that,'_ he thought while he chuckled darkly and took another bite of metal. He took another deep whiff of her scent as she disappeared upstairs, wondering just how she could smell so sweet like that and why it made him want to chase her down right then, but he shook away any wayward thoughts when he heard the pattering of rain outside. Gajeel rolled his eyes and thought, '_Looks like the Rain Woman's back… Goddamnit, I'm gonna be stuck inside all fucking day to stay dry… This is bullshit.'_

"Um, Master?" Lucy said softly as they made their way to his office.

"Yes?"

"I'd like to apologize. I'm sure I didn't exactly make the best first impression by entering your guild that way and arguing with two members in the span of five minutes," Lucy said sheepishly.

Jose chuckled and shook his head, then put a hand lightly on her shoulder and said, "There is no need to apologize. The members of this guild are ruthless when it comes to sniffing out weaknesses, and your interaction with one of our strongest members has probably saved you quite a bit of hassle."

"S-Strongest… members?" Lucy winced.

"Yes, Gajeel Redfox is one of our five S-Class mages. No one else would dare to stand up to him the way you did," Jose said as he watched her from the corner of his eye. He could see that she was ashamed, uncomfortable, and confused. What struck him as interesting was the triumphant gleam in her eyes as a small smirk graced her lips.

"Well, while I feel bad for acting that way, I guess it can't be helped," Lucy said with a shrug. "Thank you, Master."

After a minute of him searching through his desk while she filled out the required paperwork for the Magic Council's records, Jose found the guild stamp. "Where and what colour, Lucy?" Jose asked while he held the stamp in his hand.

"Hmmm," Lucy hummed then grinned and pointed to her taut, bared stomach between her bountiful chest and navel. "Right here, in dark red." '_Dark red?'_ she wondered, '_My favourite colour's pink… Why would I choose that? Oh well, maybe it'll make me seem less like a dumb blonde.'_

Jose watched with wide eyes as Lucy stretched her back and pulled her shirt up just a little bit higher, apparently completely oblivious to how her breasts practically spilled from her top. As quickly as he could manage without seeming like a total pervert, Jose gave her the guild mark in dark red and sent her on her way. He gave her an explanation of job requests, where to find them and who to give the information to—which was the idiot at the bar—and which ones were S-Class (that she would only be able to take if she got an S-Class mage to go with her). After explaining that there was an age-old rivalry between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail, and a few stretched truths about how the Fairies operated, Jose patted her on the back and assured her that she had made the right choice in joining them. He explained that unless a request specifically said that someone had to be brought in alive, she wouldn't be held responsible for their deaths, or the deaths of anyone that interfered with her mission, in the event of 'an accident.' He watched Lucy cringe at the thought of killing someone, and wondered how long it would take her to finally do it and come to terms with it.

Once Lucy left the guildmaster's office, she walked down to the request board but didn't see anything that she was comfortable taking on her own just yet. '_Maybe I should wait it out a couple of days and get a feel for the guild itself, then I can take a job.'_ Having made her decision, she turned to see the doors of the guild open and a beautiful woman with blue hair in a long blue coat walking inside with a pink umbrella. The woman shook her umbrella out in the entrance, and Lucy saw that it was pouring outside, then closed it and went to silently sit at a table on the second floor. Shrugging off how distant everyone in the guild seemed to be, Lucy went back over to the bar and smiled at the same bald barkeep from before. When he started sweating while looking directly into her eyes, Lucy said, "You know, I never caught your name."

"T-T-Tom," he stuttered, hoping she wasn't going to manhandle him again.

"Well, Tom. I'm Lucy," she said happily. "Are there any training grounds around here?"

"Yeah, but it's occupied right now," Tom said quickly while he glanced at the now-empty table that still had a pile of metal on it and then to a hallway that led out back.

"Oh," Lucy said, "Well, when will it be free?" When Tom didn't answer her, just kept looking over at the hallway, Lucy rolled her eyes and got up. '_Guess I'll just figure it out myself.' _She waved to Tom as she walked out and through the hallway, and when she came to a single door at the end of it, Lucy shrugged and opened it to see a vast stadium behind the guildhall. There was a track, training dummies all over the place, several sets of bleachers, a pool, and even some insane looking jungle gym. In the middle of all of it, was a shirtless and heavily muscled man with long black hair that was beating a training dummy senseless. Lucy quietly made her way over to one of the bleachers and watched in awe as his muscles rippled and contracted with each and every hit. She felt a strange warmth spreading low in her belly as the sunlight that was peeking through ominous gray clouds made his sweat-coated skin glisten. Each move he made was perfectly calculated, and the muted grunts of exertion had Lucy's inner author taking furious notes for inspiration later on. His face was hidden the entire time and the piercings on his arms were blurred with the speed of his jabs, however, she found it odd that he wasn't using any of his magic from what she could tell.

Gajeel smirked when he smelled the blonde walking into the training area, and wondered why she was just sitting there. He had decided that he needed to get some of his pent up energy out, so once he'd finished with his meal, he came outside to work on his hand-to-hand skills. Luckily, the Rain Woman was far enough away from the training grounds that her constant gloomy bullshit didn't literally rain on his parade. He hardly got the chance to use his Dragon Slayer magic during a fight, and after having destroyed nearly half of the training grounds while practicing on his roar, Master Jose had told him to work on his magic elsewhere. Once the dummy was completely destroyed, Gajeel sighed and turned to see the blonde waiting patiently while she watched him walk over to her. There was a flicker of surprise that crossed her face before it shut down into a neutral mask, and he completely ignored her while he took large gulps of the water jug he had brought outside with him.

"Hey, I don't mean to bother you," Lucy started, figuring she might as well try and be social with the guy since they were in the same guild now, "But I was wondering when you would be finished."

Gajeel raised one pierced eyebrow at her while he continued guzzling water, then said, "Gonna be a while."

"Oh," Lucy sighed. "Well, will you be taking a break soon? I don't need the grounds for long. Just a few minutes to make some contracts."

"Sure, whatever," Gajeel muttered while he sat down and wiped the sweat from his brow. '_Make contracts, huh?' _He watched her get off the bleacher and walk into the middle of the field—his eyes trained on her swaying hips and a part of his brain wished that a breeze would blow past and ruffle her skirt just a little—then take a gold key from the ring on her belt. '_The fuck is that?'_

"I am linked to the path to the world of Celestial Spirits, now! O Spirit, answer my call and pass through the gate! Gate of the Maiden, I open thee! Virgo!" Lucy chanted, swiping the first golden key through the air. She watched in awe as the ground rumbled beneath her feet and a beautiful pink-haired woman in a maid outfit broke free from the ground with chains dangling from her wrists.

Virgo stood in front of her newest owner and bowed low as she spoke. "How may I serve you, Master?"

"Please, there's no need for that," Lucy said quickly.

Virgo stood up, her face blank, and said, "Punishment?"

"What?! NO!" Lucy screeched. "You don't need to call me Master, Virgo. I'd like for us to be friends though. You can call me anything else, but please… not Master."

_'What the fuck is this?'_ Gajeel thought while he watched the blonde. There had been a brilliant flash of golden light once that magic circle appeared in front of her key, and then there was a maid bowing in front of her. He listened to the conversation between the two women, utterly confused as to what was going on. '_Contracts, Master, punishment… What the hell?'_

"Princess, then," Virgo said.

Lucy sighed and quickly arranged Virgo's contract, then dismissed her. Replacing Virgo's key, she pulled out the next golden one. "I am linked to the path to the world of Celestial Spirits, now! O Spirit, answer my call and pass through the gate! Gate of the Golden Bull, I open thee! Taurus!" The ground rumbled beneath her feet again and a massive bull wearing a pair of dark blue hot pants with an enormous battle-axe strapped to his back appeared, mooing loudly and flexing every muscle he could. "Hello, Taurus. My name's Lucy. Would you like to make a contract with me?" Lucy asked sweetly.

Hearts instantly appeared in Taurus' eyes while he looked at the buxom blonde in front of him. "I'd love to make a contract with you, Luuucy!" he shouted. "I'll protect that beautiful body!"

Now Gajeel had officially moved from confused to flabbergasted, though his face never showed more than boredom. First, the girl has a maid, then the pink-haired chick disappears in a burst of fucking sparkles. Now she's got a huge bull that's hitting on her, and all she was doing was smiling like it wasn't a big deal. '_What in the mother fuck is going on?!'_ He watched the blonde—'_What was her name again?' _he thought, '_Fuck it… She's Bunny Girl. That's what she gets for hopping around like a psycho,'—_write down a few notes in a small notebook before the bull disappeared in the same glittery mess that the maid had.

"I am linked to the path to the world of Celestial Spirits, now! O Spirit, answer my call and pass through the gate! Gate of the Archer, I open thee! Sagittarius!"

_'Really? A dude in a horse costume…'_ Gajeel rolled his eyes and leaned back while she did the exact same thing with the cosplaying weirdo, and then, yet again, he disappeared with a flash of golden sparkles. As Gajeel stood up, assuming that Bunny Girl was finished with whatever the hell she was doing, and ready to get back to venting out his frustration—and now his utter confusion—he saw her pull a silver key from the key ring at her hip.

Lucy saw the pierced man coming closer, so she said, "This is the last one." She took a deep breath, centering herself as she prepared to summon her little silver key. "I am linked to the path to the world of Celestial Spirits, now! O Spirit, answer my call and pass through the gate! Gate of Canis Minor, I open thee! Nikora!" Lucy called, summoning the last Spirit she needed to make a contract with. When the small Spirit appeared, looking almost exactly like a snowman even though Lucy knew he was a dog, she squealed excitedly and pulled him into her arms while she jumped up and down.

"Punn punnn!"

"Okay, seriously what the fuck is that?" Gajeel asked once Lucy had talked with the creepy snowman with legs.

Plue, having gained a new name from his Master, hid behind her legs and started shaking and whimpering. "Aw, it's okay Plue!" Lucy turned to glare at the raven-haired man and said, "There's no need to scare him, jackass!"

Gajeel chuckled and leaned down, grinning widely at the little thing. He growled and watched it start shaking uncontrollably, then snapped his jaws in a feigned bite. When it fainted and disappeared with a small puff of smoke, he laughed and said, "I don't know what that was, but it's a fuckin' pussy."

Lucy was burning with unbridled rage at how this guy had mistreated her Spirit, and her fists clenched while she tried to contain herself. She lifted a hand and roughly poked him in the chest, then yelled, "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but that's no way to treat a Celestial Spirit!"

Gajeel sneered at her, growling in warning, and quickly pulled her small hand away from him while his other shot up to clamp around her chin. He took a step closer, taking a deep whiff of her scent and still not smelling any fear from her even when he towered over her. "You've got quite the mouth on ya," he said with a wicked grin, "Wonder what else it can do aside from talk."

Lucy quickly spat in his face, feeling slightly vindicated at the rage that poured from him while her phlegmy saliva trailed slowly down his cheek.

"Too bad I like my bitches to swallow," Gajeel sneered, tightening his grip on her chin.

"Too bad you have to force them," Lucy shot back as she looked into those ruby red eyes with utter disgust. When she tried to lift her other arm to smack him, the man quickly spun her around and pulled her trapped hand up the center of her back until she felt like the shoulder was being dislocated. She fought the bile that rose in her throat when he pressed himself tightly against her back and instead head-butted him as hard as she could.

Gajeel laughed wildly when he didn't move an inch, but felt her wobble unsteadily in his grasp. He wiped the spit from his face and grabbed her blonde locks, jerking her head to the side and stretching her neck out in front of his dangerously sharp teeth. "Lemme give ya a little lesson, Bunny Girl," he said while his lips hovered over her ear and his hot breath danced across her flesh. "Don't fuck with me and you'll live. Got it?"

"I don't even know who you are," she said with venom in her voice while she tried to reorient herself. '_What's his head made out of, metal?!'_

Gajeel chuckled and tightened his hold on her arm, putting just a little more pressure on the joints to see if she would cry out. "Black Steel Gajeel, Iron Dragon Slayer. I'm being generous here, since Master seems to like ya and it's still your first day. Next time you piss me off, I'll break ya in two."

"Oh, so I got under your skin earlier," Lucy taunted, wincing when he growled and pulled on her arm and hair again, "What's the matter, can't take it when someone talks back to you?" She fought the tremor that wanted to run through her when she heard him let out another growl and his teeth—'_Why are they so sharp?!'_ she screeched internally—started dragging over the skin of her neck like a predator that was toying with its prey. She noticed his teeth felt just like the thorns she had pushed through while she made her way out of the forest earlier that day.

"Ya better watch it," Gajeel seethed. He pulled the hand that was gripping her hair away and held it in front of her face while he transformed one finger into an iron knife, lightly dragging it down her cheek and leaving a faint pink line in its wake. "Learn your place or—"

"Or what, you're going to cut me?" Lucy asked with a derisive snort. "Please, you would have done it already if that's what you were pla—"

Gajeel grinned when he pressed the knife into her more firmly and dragged it across her chest just over her heart, watching as a small rivulet of blood slowly leaked from the wound. He pulled the knife up so she could see her own blood dripping off it, then said, "Don't test me. I won't hesitate to kill you."

Lucy nearly lost her balance when he let her arm go and took a step back, then she turned around to glare at him again. '_There's no way I could take someone like him in a fist-fight,'_ she thought. Sure, she had been training so that she could live on her own without worrying about being attacked, but she was already feeling pretty drained from summoning three Zodiacs and keeping them out long enough to make their contracts. "You're a fucking asshole, you know that?" she said while she shouldered past him and stormed back inside.

"And you're lucky all I did was cut you a little," Gajeel growled even though she couldn't hear him. He turned back to the training dummies and sighed before he started back up on his hand-to-hand training, thoughts of the feisty blonde running through his head as he pictured her face on the dummies while he pounded them into small splinters.

Lucy found a bathroom in the guild and quickly ran a paper towel under some water, then started to clean the wound Gajeel had left on her chest. There were marks around her wrist and chin where his fingers had pressed into her flesh, and she fought back the angry tears that threatened to well in her eyes. '_Not here. I won't let anyone see me as a crybaby. Not anymore.'_ She had spent enough of her life crying over every little thing, especially when her father started to ignore her, and then just to try to get attention. She wasn't going to be that weak person, not now that she was free. Lucy finally staunched the blood flow on her chest, noticing that the cut wasn't nearly as bad as she had thought, then turned on the faucet and splashed some water on her face. When she felt the smallest bit refreshed, Lucy gave her reflection the best smile she could muster and took a deep breath, then left the guild completely to go and find herself a place to live. '_I'm taking a mission tomorrow,'_ she thought, '_I need to take care of myself and get some space from that Gajeel guy.'_

* * *

><p>Lucy smiled up at the guild doors, holding Plue tightly in her arms before finally dismissing him. She had summoned him after she'd found a decent apartment only a few blocks away, and apologized for the way Gajeel had acted. She said that she didn't know the man at all, but had already had an argument with him, so she would make sure to keep Plue away from the guy until she knew whether or not he could be trusted. Lucy pushed the door to the guild open and walked right up to the bar, taking a seat with a smile on her face. "Hey, Tom," she said happily when the barkeep came from the back room.<p>

"Lucy," he said in response. "Need something?"

"Hmm… Smoothie?"

"Strawberry or blueberry?"

"Ooh, strawberry!" Lucy said excitedly, gaining a small chuckle out of the bald man before he started making her drink. Once it was in front of her, Lucy took a sip and sighed. "Thanks, Tom. Just what I needed." '_Let's see, I'll need to take a mission. Hopefully I can find something that I'll be able to do on my own, since I still haven't spoken to anyone in this guild yet. I mean, it's all guys except for me and that woman I saw yesterday, and almost all of them have been staring at me like a piece of meat.'_ Lucy really wasn't looking forward to trying to find someone to partner up with if the mission called for it, but she would do what needed to be done for the sake of their job.

Once she was finished, she put the Jewels for her drink down on the bar and smiled at Tom when he promptly came by to take the money and her empty cup, then she went over to the board and looked through the requests. There weren't many for her to choose from that she felt were within her power to complete alone, and they were all relatively low when it came to the reward. The board seemed to be organized by reward amount, with the highest paying jobs at the top, descending to the ones that seemed to have been sitting for quite some time with only one or two thousand Jewels as a reward. Finally, one request caught her eye:

**Please help. Ancient tome lost in mines, needs to be recovered and translated.  
>Reward: 50,000 Jewels<strong>**.**

Lucy read the description a few times, then saw that the mission was in the next town over. It shouldn't be too difficult to complete, and she was pretty sure she could translate an ancient text with ease. What was even better was that it would leave her with 10,000 Jewels after her rent was paid, so she would be able to start building her savings back up. After having decided she would do it, Lucy took the mission over to Tom and had it signed off, then made her way to her place to pack for the next few days.

* * *

><p>"Oh, come ON!" Lucy screamed at the mage she was facing off against in the dank, dark mines she had found the book in. Of course, the mission couldn't have been as simple as walking in and picking up the book, then taking it back to translate it. No, there just had to be some sick pervert that kept intentionally cutting her clothes every time he sent out a magic blast, leering at her when more and more of her skin was exposed, that had already found the book and wanted to take the reward for himself. "This is just ridiculous!"<p>

"What's ridiculous is that you're still talking," the blue-haired man said with a sneer. He dodged the attack from the large bull that the blonde woman had summoned, barely missing the blade of the axe as it whizzed by.

Lucy crouched low, not caring if he could see her underwear since her skirt was nearly in tatters as it was. She pulled out the whip she had bought at a shop a few weeks before and quickly snapped it. "Give me the fucking book!" she shouted. She lashed out with her whip, grinning when it caught his torso and a thick stream of blood flowed freely and soaked into his shirt.

"You bitch!" he shouted, dropping the book and holding tightly to his ribs.

"Get him, Taurus!" Lucy yelled while she rushed forward. She lashed out with her whip again to try to push the man further away, but she stopped dead in her tracks when Taurus yelled out in agony.

"Sorry, Luuuucy!" Taurus yelled while he disappeared, holding a wound in his side from a sneak attack that the enemy had used. Of course, Taurus had been slightly distracted by the amount of skin Lucy was currently showing, so maybe it wasn't _that_ hard to get a hit on him right then.

Lucy's distraction ended up costing her, since the blue-haired man used it to close the distance between them and tackled her to the ground. His hand lifted high and he relentlessly pummelled her with everything he had, laughing wildly as blow after blow landed on her face and torso.

Lucy's vision was beginning to blur as pain shot through her. She was in utter agony as each hit connected with her body. She bucked under the man and was finally able to knock him off her. Once she was on her feet again, Lucy dove to the side when he lunged at her, and rose up on one knee while she summoned Virgo.

"Punishment, Princess?" Virgo asked as she assessed the situation.

"No, Virgo. I need you to make the ground unstable over there," Lucy said while glancing off to the side, "So he'll fall into a pit when I knock him down. Then take that book on the ground to the Spirit World."

Virgo nodded and disappeared underground, quickly digging the pit where Lucy had indicated until there was less than half a foot of earth between herself and the surface. Once her task was complete, Virgo grabbed the book and disappeared back to the Spirit World, telling Lucy that everything was ready.

Lucy had been dodging the man's attacks for a few minutes while she tried to buy time for Virgo, and when she felt Virgo's key warming up, she lashed out at him with her whip to start moving him closer to where the pit was. She winced and grunted in pain when he sent a volley of black and red magic blasts at her, each of them slicing into her flesh and causing a deep burn to spread through her. Still, she didn't relent in her own attacks, and when he was almost in place she shored up the last of her strength and lashed out. With her aim true, Lucy watched with some small bit of sadistic pleasure as her whip connected with his face and knocked him to the ground. The force of his fall caused the unstable ground to give way beneath him, and she slowly walked over to peer down at the now unconscious mage with several bones protruding at odd angles from his arms and one of his legs, and a large pool of blood slowly gathering on the floor of the pit from a deeper gash in his forehead. She cringed when she realized that he probably wouldn't live much longer, but there wasn't a thing she could do.

Lucy was overwhelmed with guilt as she slowly and carefully made her way out of the mine, feeling utterly disgusting every time the sting of dirt caused more pain to radiate through her injuries. She was walking away from someone that needed help, and she was going to let him die. It was her fault that he was in that pit. It was her fault that he'd hit his head and broke several bones in his body. At the same time, there was only so much she could do when it came down to it: he was her enemy, and she was on a mission. It was her job to bring this book back to the client, and Master Jose had made it very clear that conflicting emotions in situations like these needed to be cast aside for the sake of the guild's reputation. She had to finish the job, no matter what; other people's lives were inconsequential if they opposed her. That was the Phantom Lord way.

It took an hour to get from the mine back to the client's house, and she ignored the frightened stares of the man and his servants when they took in her tattered clothes, bruised and bloodied body, and the way she carefully limped over to the desk they directed her to. Once she was sitting down, Lucy felt a small pull on her magic, and Virgo appeared with the book in her hands.

"Should I bandage your wounds, Princess?" Virgo asked, her voice showing the barest hint of her worry for her Master.

"Later, Virgo. I want to finish this job and turn it in at the guild. I'll summon you when I'm home. Thank you," Lucy said with a pained smile as she started flipping through the pages of the book. It took her twelve hours of nonstop translating to finally finish. She handed the pages she'd written to the client after he gave her the reward, not willing to risk getting screwed over in the event that he would refuse to pay her once he had what he wanted. She waved off his offer of giving her a place to stay for the night, since it was already nearing five in the morning and she hadn't slept, and started making her way back to the guild.

By the time she got back to Oak Town, it was nearing noon and Lucy was practically dead on her feet with exhaustion. She was covered in cuts and deep blackened bruises; her breath was laboured with a sharp pain piercing her side with every inhale, and she felt absolutely wretched when she realized just how much dirt was caked on her. She took a look at her clothes, unable to really find it in her to care about what she looked like but still curious to see how much damage her wardrobe had taken, and winced. Her light blue tank top was being held up by only the barest remnants of one strap, the majority of it and her bra beneath haven been disintegrated. The bottoms of her breasts felt a chill as a small wind whipped past her, and that was when Lucy realized that the only form of decency she had right then was that her nipples were covered. Her khaki mini-skirt hadn't fared much better, but at least her panties had made it through unscathed—most likely because they were hardly more than a thin triangle of lacy material. The belt that held her keys and whip was fine, with only dirt and a few light singe marks covering it, and it helped to hold up the tattered remains of her skirt that was hanging in loose strips over her most intimate of places. The last block on her walk to the guild had Lucy sighing in relief when dark storm clouds rolled over the sky, blotting out the stifling summer heat and letting a torrent of rain down on top of her. "Thank you," she said wearily to the sky. "I've never been happier to see rain in my whole life."

It took everything in her to pry open the doors to the guild, and she ignored the lecherous catcalls of her guild mates while she trudged up to the bar. She checked in with Tom, recounting her mission with as little detail as possible, then sat on a bar stool while he made her a strawberry smoothie. '_I haven't eaten since yesterday,'_ she realized. '_I'll just have a smoothie here to get a little more energy, then eat after Virgo bandages me up.'_

"Ya look like shit," Gajeel laughed from his place on the second floor.

"At least I can clean up," Lucy grumbled at him with a sneer. "What's your excuse?" She was _so_ not in the mood to deal with him right now.

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her, then dropped from the balcony to glare at her. He'd caught her scent as she got closer to the guild, even through the rain that Juvia brought with her everywhere she went, and had kept an eye on the doors to see with a small amount of interest how her first mission went. Needless to say he was surprised that she had come to this shithole of a guild at all with the way she looked—her clothes practically torn to shreds and leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination, cuts and bruises all over her body, and what he could only assume was dirt dripping down her form from head to toe in small muddy rivers from the rain—and Gajeel couldn't help but want to take a jab at her for it. Chicks loved making sure they looked good, and maybe he could get a rise out of her just for some entertainment. '_Maybe I can make her cry,'_ he thought while a dark grin spread across his face. "Figured some prissy bitch like you would have been able to handle a mission," he retorted. "What's the matter, couldn't cut it?"

"I don't know," Lucy said with a sigh, turning her attention to Gajeel and returning his glare with a rivalling degree of hatred. "Why don't you ask the guy I left in the mine? If you're fast enough, he might still be alive when you get there."

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her. That was definitely _not_ the response he was expecting, but he didn't want to give up so easily. "Can't believe you left someone to die like that," he said softly while he leaned into her. "It must just eat you up inside, looking at his broken body and knowing it's all your fault. Wonder if he had a family that he was trying to feed, maybe that's why he was doing it."

"He got what he deserved," Lucy spat, turning her face until her nose was almost touching Gajeel's, her breath mixing with his while her rage started to seep into her veins. "_No one_ attacks my Spirits and gets away with it. He was in my way, and I had a job to do." She turned back to her smoothie and grumbled, "Besides, he's the dumbass that fell into the trap I set up. If he'd listened to what I told Virgo, he would have known that I had her dig under the ground to weaken it so that when I pushed him over he'd fall into the pit…"

"If it was so easy then why are you fucked up?" Gajeel asked with a derisive snort.

"Because that son-of-a-bitch kept intentionally slashing at my clothes." She paused when she saw Gajeel taking in just how she looked and rolled her eyes while she drank her smoothie. "Men, you're all the same, 'Oh look, boobs!'"

"Tch, I don't give a fuck if you're walking around here naked," Gajeel growled, "I don't go for skanks."

"Well, I don't go for needle-dicked bastards that overcompensate, so I guess we're both in luck," Lucy said while she gave Gajeel a pointed look, smirking when he bared his teeth at her. Once her smoothie was done, Lucy motioned for Tom and handed her money to him before he walked away with the empty glass, then she turned and slowly got off the barstool, unintentionally brushing her breasts against Gajeel's toned stomach. "It's been fun, maybe next time you'll actually be able to insult me instead of whatever that shit was."

Gajeel growled low in his throat, the sound echoing off the barren walls of the guild, as he watched Bunny Girl leave with a distinct stiffness to her gait and a limp. It had taken everything in him to hold back from punching her right then, but Master Jose had been watching from the balcony and Gajeel knew that he didn't want to hear _another_ lecture about beating up female guild members. When he heard one of the men in the back of the guild snickering about what happened, Gajeel took long strides to reach the little shit and dragged him outside by his collar so he could beat some sense into _someone_.

* * *

><p>"Gajeel," Jose called out in the morning from the balcony, his voice just loud enough for the Dragon Slayer to hear. When gleaming and dangerous red eyes shot up to him, Jose motioned for the raven-haired mage to come up the stairs. "We need to talk."<p>

Gajeel sneered and took another bite of his metal before he stood up and stalked up the stairs. He walked silently until he reached Master Jose's office, then stood in front of the man's desk with his arms crossed over his chest.

"It seems you've taken a liking to our new Celestial mage," Jose mused as he leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together. When Gajeel snorted and rolled his eyes, Jose continued. "There's no point in denying it since you still haven't beaten her to a pulp for how she talks to you. Juvia informs me that she was out in the training grounds with you and came back with a cut on her first day here?"

"That Rain Woman needs to keep her goddamn eyes on her own business," Gajeel muttered. '_A Celestial mage, huh? So that's what she was doing—making contracts with new Spirits.'_ "What do ya want?"

"I want you to keep an eye on our newest member," Jose said. "She's still wet behind the ears, and needs someone to train her properly."

"You can't be fucking serious," Gajeel growled, "I ain't a babysitter."

Jose scowled and leaned forward, pushing a paper across his desk for Gajeel to read. "No, but her magic can become extraordinarily powerful if properly honed. _You_ are capable of doing just that. If not to increase the power of our guild, then consider it as a means of venting your frustrations: you'll have someone to beat up while she's in training." He paused while Gajeel leaned forward and read over the paper. "Don't kill her, don't let her get killed. She's very useful, indeed."

Gajeel stood there and waited for Jose to continue, wondering why the Master had showed him Bunny Girl's file. '_Lucy Heartfilia. Why does that sound familiar?'_ When Jose said no more, he asked, "Useful how?"

"All in due time, Gajeel. Now, why don't you two go on a mission and get better acquainted?" Jose said with a sickly sweet smile. "Gain her trust. Make sure she's loyal to our guild and ours alone. We'll need her power in the future."

"I'm sure she's doing just fine," Gajeel grunted. "She left a guy for dead on her first mission."

Jose smiled and nodded. He remembered hearing about her first mission a few days after she had returned when he had called her into his office to find out why the client was making sure she was alright. She had apparently left them with a bittersweet taste in their mouths: while she'd accomplished the goal, both finding the tome and translating it in record time, she had also returned to their home practically naked because she didn't try to clean herself up before heading back. Jose liked her determination to finish the job, but he'd had to tell her that her appearance to the clients was just as important. Being bruised and cut up was one thing, but not changing her clothes and at least attempting at being presentable made the guild look bad. In the three months since Lucy had joined, Jose could see her potential just waiting to be fulfilled, and he was ecstatic that she took to the ways of his guild with no questions. She was a fast learner, and instantly molded herself to the rules he gave her or any corrections he made to the way she handled herself. "While that is true, she also comes back to the guild nearly unconscious from every mission she goes on. Lucy gets results, but she's far too weak to represent our guild in this fashion."

"So kick her ass to the curb!"

Jose glowered at Gajeel and shook his head slowly. "Train her and make her more powerful. You're the only one she even tolerates a conversation with anyway, not that your constant bickering could even be considered a conversation by normal standards."

Gajeel raised an eyebrow in confusion but otherwise said nothing.

"Oh, you didn't know?" Jose chuckled. "Last week one of the men tried to hit on her before she left on a mission, and she ended up breaking his jaw when she kicked him."

"I ain't gonna hit on her. Dumb blondes aren't really my style," Gajeel retorted. '_How in the hell did we get into this conversation to begin with?!'_

"True, but you actually argue with her instead of ignoring her or beating her senseless."

"That's 'cos ya kept hounding me about beating up the chicks in the guild."

Jose rolled his eyes, then stood up and crossed his own arms while his magic leaked from him. "Gajeel, this is an order. You will train her, and make sure her loyalties lie with us. Now go take her on a mission and find out what needs work. I don't want to see either of you for at least a month."

Gajeel sneered, letting out a small growl as he turned around and stalked out of the office. He was loyal to his guild and definitely loyal to Jose for taking him in after Metallicana left, but that didn't mean he was going to jump for joy when he was ordered to act as a blonde bimbo's babysitter. He went over to the S-Class mission board and scanned through everything there. Finally, he settled on some town that was plagued with monsters and paid a million Jewels. It was something he could easily do on his own, so the addition of Bunny Girl wouldn't hinder him from getting the job done. If anything, he could see just what she was capable of first. If Jose wanted her to be trained, Gajeel was going to train her—he didn't like it, but he would do it on Master's orders.

* * *

><p>Gajeel had already gotten the mission signed off on, with both his and the blonde's names assigned to it. The idiotic barkeep had nearly choked on his own spit when he heard that Gajeel was taking someone on a mission with him, and the guy's eyes nearly bugged out when he said it was the blonde. Now, Gajeel was leaning against the railing of the second floor balcony, intently watching her while she drank down a strawberry smoothie. Her outfit was different today; somehow more revealing than the day before, with a white off-the-shoulder peasant top that reached just under her breasts and had a small red rose pattern running across the top hem, a black mini-skirt, and black ankle-high combat boots. To the untrained eye, Bunny Girl was oblivious to everything around her, but Gajeel noticed a fair amount of tension in her that showed she was ready to spring into action should the need arise; she was aware of everything around her. When her eyes seemed to glaze over, he could see an almost imperceptible shift of her head while she listened in on someone else's conversation. When her eyes focused again, they would quickly scan the room before settling on her drink.<p>

Gajeel's brow furrowed when he saw her starting to mouth something, tapping her fingers lightly on the warped wood of the bar. As he focused on her plump lips, he could finally make out what she was silently saying, "Five, four, three, two, one.' A fight broke out in the far corner of the room, and Gajeel watched her sit utterly still with a smug smirk on her face while chairs roughly scraped across the floor and glass shattered, the noises only overshadowed by the shocked yells coming from some other guild members. That look let him know she had heard the argument two of the men were having, and suddenly everything made sense. Bunny Girl heard the stirrings of their argument and focused in on it, once she had heard enough she took a quick survey of her surroundings, then started counting down until the fight broke out. She didn't flinch at all when a glass mug shattered while it hit the bar right next to her, and it was almost as if there was nothing that could come close to touching her.

Lucy hummed softly, tuning out the raucous yells of the men that were fighting while keeping her ear trained for anything that might come her way. She'd felt the pair of blood red eyes on her from the moment she stepped in the guild, but Lucy just ignored them. She wasn't going to stoop to trying to get back at him for his recent jabs at her, and decided the best thing to do was act like he didn't exist. It didn't take long for her to realize there was a presence behind her, and Lucy slowly turned around to look up into those same red eyes that had practically been boring a hole right through her a few moments ago. "Yes?" she asked, letting him see just how distasteful she found his presence.

"We're taking a mission," Gajeel grunted, "Master's orders."

"Me… and you," Lucy snorted, rolling her eyes before she turned back to her drink. "Yeah, right."

"No, Bunny Girl… You, Santa Claus, and the fucking Tooth Fairy," Gajeel retorted. "Get your shit and meet me outside in an hour. We'll be gone for a month."

"But—"

"No arguments," Gajeel growled, "Master's orders. You do what he says, regardless of whether ya like it. Got it?"

Lucy sighed and nodded. Gajeel had a point. She knew that he would never willingly partner with her for a mission, so it had to be on Master Jose's orders that they were working together. The only question was why he wanted them to work together in the first place. "Where's the mission at?"

"Waas Forest. We're cutting through the mountains. Now shut the fuck up and get your shit," Gajeel growled, rolling his eyes at all her pesky questions. Turning on his heel, Gajeel left the guild to head to his place and get what he needed. It took an hour to make the trek to his meager apartment, gather his belongings, and get back to the guild. Once he rounded the corner, he was surprised to see the blonde leaning against the wall outside of the guild with no suitcase or bag, and sucking on a lollipop while she held onto the weird snowman Spirit who had a lollipop of his own. '_Shit, her mouth looks good sucking on that…'_ He had definitely taken notice of her body the past few months, but every time she opened her mouth, all he wanted to do what seal it shut with an iron trap. There was no way he could get past that shitty attitude of hers long enough to fuck her senseless, so Gajeel didn't even entertain the thought while he studiously ignored the way her cheeks hollowed out and how her tongue flattened over the red ball of the lollipop before swirling around and popping it back into her mouth. Nope, he ignored every bit of it.

Lucy looked up and saw Gajeel coming closer, so she said goodbye to Plue and turned to look at the grumpy Slayer. "Ready, Metalface?" she asked around the cherry lollipop.

"Where's yer shit?" Gajeel asked when he was in front of her.

Lucy pulled the lollipop out of her mouth with a light pop, and smiled. '_I should try to at least get along with him,'_ she thought with a sigh. '_We're going to be stuck with each other for a month, after all.' _"Virgo can hold items for me in the Spirit World, so she's holding onto my stuff until I need it." She paused for a moment, then said, "I can have her hold onto your stuff too, if you want."

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her, seemingly appraising her statement. Not having to carry a month's worth of supplies would be useful, especially when it came to trekking through the mountains, but he didn't trust anyone to begin with. There was no guarantee he'd get his shit back, and he didn't know what to make of the girl in front of him. The first time they met, she had yelled at him, wasn't afraid of him in the slightest, and actually landed a solid kick to his gut. Then in the training grounds, she was polite and almost shy until after her Spirit disappeared, that was when she became fiery again—instantly going on the offense while she berated him, even going so far as to spit on him and throw in a measly hit to his forehead with her own head. It had been three whole months of her flip-flopping between being civil one minute and a downright bitch from hell the next. It seemed that now she was back to being nice. "Whatever," he grumbled, deciding that he was going to have to play nice as well to follow Jose's orders and get her to trust him. '_This is gonna be a long fucking month… Why do I have to do this shit?'_

Lucy smiled warmly at Gajeel, then pulled out Virgo's key and quickly summoned her.

"Punishment, Princess?" Virgo asked with a bow.

"No, no punishment. Could you please hold onto Gajeel's belongings until he needs them later on?" Lucy asked hopefully.

"Of course. Will that be all, Princess?" Virgo said while she put a shackled hand out to take Gajeel's bag. As soon as Lucy said she didn't need anything else, Virgo bowed again and disappeared with the Iron Dragon Slayer's bag.

Gajeel watched the short interaction between Bunny Girl and her Spirit in silence.

"Well, lead the way. I have no clue how to get to the mountains from here," Lucy said.

"Whatever, Bunny Girl."

Lucy huffed as she walked next to Gajeel. "Seriously, you're _still_ calling me that?"

"Stop jumping around like a cracked out rabbit that's jonesing for a fix and I'll stop calling ya that," Gajeel answered.

"I do _not_ do that. Clearly you need to get your eyes checked."

Gajeel glanced over at Lucy then smirked. '_Time to start fucking with her.' _"Don't need 'em checked, I can see the flower pattern on your bra from here."

Lucy rolled her eyes and pulled the lollipop from her mouth then said, "Stop staring at my tits you perv."

"Stop flaunting 'em for everyone to see. Trust me; your tits do absolutely nothing for me."

"Probably because you'd rather get fucked in the ass, you big ol' sewer grate," Lucy grumbled, her forced good mood deflating and giving way to her intense irritation that always seemed to surface around Gajeel.

"Did you just call me gay?"

"No, I _called_ you a sewer grate," Lucy answered haughtily, pointing her red lollipop at him, "I _insinuated_ that you were a bottom, a catcher, a pole smoker. You know… You like to bite the pillow, have your peanut butter stirred, and your favourite hobby is letting guys get to fifth base with you."

"Better watch that mouth, Bunny Girl," Gajeel growled in agitation, a migraine starting to form already, "I might just have to teach ya a lesson."

"Pfft, please," Lucy snorted, "I haven't found a guy yet that can even come close to pleasing me. I doubt you're any different."

"Hotdog down a hallway, huh?" Gajeel said with a smirk, "Probably can't feel a thing since your shit's just flappin' in the wind."

"I wouldn't fuck you for practice."

"I think I hear an echo… close your legs and try again."

"Eat a dick."

"Hey, not my fault you're a cum dumpster."

"You're just mad that you're a two-pump chump."

"Cum-guzzling gutter slut."

"Man, I bet you were up _all_ night working on that one."

"I'd slap you but I don't want slut on my hands."

"I'm not saying I hate you, but if you were on fire I'd pull out the marshmallows."

"Go make me a sandwich."

"I don't make cock-meat sandwiches," Lucy shot back. "That's your forte."

"I'm so close to donkey punching you right now," Gajeel growled.

"Since when are you into donkeys?! Nasty bitch," Lucy taunted. She could tell that she was walking a very thin line with Gajeel, but she honestly couldn't help herself. The only enjoyment she got out of her days was while she was either working on her novel or trying to piss of the ornery Dragon Slayer. "Remind me to never take you to a petting zoo."

Gajeel snarled at Lucy, scaring the people walking by them then picked up his pace. '_Don't kill her, don't kill her, don't kill her.' _He repeated it like a mantra, again and again until he had completely drowned out anything she was trying to say while he stalked towards the forest that led to the mountains.

After several hours of walking in complete silence, Lucy's good mood started to return. She wasn't really enjoying how fast she had to walk to keep up with Gajeel, but the leaves were just beginning to turn into the most beautiful shades of orange and red as autumn had rolled in not a week prior, and the light breeze that whipped through her hair had her sighing contentedly. Lucy glanced over at the man she was taking a mission with, and for the first time in a long while found herself appreciating just how strong his jaw was, how the harsh angles of his face actually added to his attractiveness and intimidating presence, and the way the piercings she could see in his profile glinted in the speckled light from the trees above them. It was just too bad he was a raging asshole every time his mouth opened.

"The fuck you lookin' at?" Gajeel growled, never taking his eyes away from the path they were walking on. '_This month **can't** be over soon enough. I'm gonna kill her if she starts that shit up again.'_

"Just wondering why Master sent us on a mission together," Lucy said while she turned to look back at the path. "It's not like you and I are the best of friends."

"Says I'm supposed to train you," Gajeel answered.

"Train me? Why?"

"Because he's tired of you making us look like a bunch of pussies when ya get your ass kicked on a mission."

Lucy frowned and stayed silent for a minute, then said, "I thought I was doing pretty well… I always get the job done."

Gajeel snorted and said, "Yeah, but you're weak as hell. He says I'm supposed to train you and we can't come back for at least a month."

Lucy rolled her eyes and sighed. "Why not someone else. You know, someone I can actually _stand_ to be around?"

Gajeel shrugged. "Apparently I'm the one he wants to do it." He glanced at her and grinned darkly while he added, "Plus, I get to kick your ass with his permission while you're in training."

"Greeeeaaat," Lucy said sarcastically. "So, I'm assuming our conversation earlier was just some foreplay then? Had to make sure I pissed you off enough so you can kill me when no one will hear my screams?" Lucy crossed her arms under her chest, completely unaware of how much she pushed her breasts together or the way that Gajeel's mouth instinctually watered when he saw it, then grumbled, "Fucking sadist."

"I'm under strict orders _not_ to kill you," Gajeel answered while he tore his gaze away from her chest, "Be glad. I'd do it in a fuckin' heartbeat."

The pair stopped long enough for Lucy to summon Virgo so she could give them something to eat for lunch, and then they continued walking while they ate in complete silence. "How long will it be until we get to the mountains?" Lucy asked as she finished the last bite of her sandwich.

"Should be there by nightfall," Gajeel said gruffly. "We'll camp at the base for the night then start back up in the morning."

Lucy nodded, then asked, "How long will it take to get through the mountains?"

Gajeel rolled his eyes and said, "A week, maybe more. Depends on how much ya slow me down."

Lucy sighed. "So, when does my training start?"

Gajeel stopped walking completely and glared at her while she turned around. "Right now. We're gonna work on your shutting yer goddamn trap for more than five seconds. Every time you make a peep, you'll have extra exercises added to your workout."

"Workout?" Lucy asked.

"That's a mile of nonstop running," Gajeel said with a wicked grin. "You need to work out, otherwise your stamina, strength, and dexterity will be shit—pretty much like they are now. Then there's your magic…"

"Watch what you say about my Spirits, you sack of shit," Lucy warned, her eyes glinting with malice.

"Now you get to run two miles carrying fifty pounds of my iron," Gajeel retorted as they started walking again. "You need to meditate at least an hour every day to work on expanding your magic."

Lucy sighed and nodded, finally giving up on fighting with him just so she wouldn't have to deal with more crap. If Master Jose wanted her to get stronger because she was shaming the guild, then she would do it. She didn't understand why he wanted _Gajeel_ of all people to train her, but there wasn't anything that could be done about it now. '_This is gonna be a **really** long month,'_ she thought grimly.

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><p><strong>So, what did you guys think of the first chapter?! It was hard to try and get Gajeel to be more Phantomy and less Fairy-ish, and for Lucy to be such a bitch to him constantly, but I think I managed alright.<strong>

**Also, huge shout-out to _LittlePrincessNana _and _leoslady4ever_ for letting me bounce ideas off of you. Some of my favourite ladies in the world right there.**

**Review, Follow, Favourite! I love you guys. ~~GemNika.**

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><p><em>This chapter has been updated with the help of Danni1496 as a glorious beta. (3.1.15) I will post a note when each subsequent chapter has been updated at the end just like this one, so keep an eye out! :D I love you, Danni!<br>_


	2. The Mountains

**A/N: I loved all of the reviews you guys left. There will be a couple of notes at the end of the chapter, but a LARGE DISCLAIMER RIGHT HERE:**

_**There's some darker stuff in this chapter, so readers BEWARE. Violence and things of that nature. You've been warned.**_

**Now, on to the story!**

**(I still don't own Fairy Tail.)**

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><p><em>Lucy sighed and nodded, finally giving up on fighting with him just so she wouldn't have to deal with more crap. If Master Jose wanted her to get stronger because she was shaming the guild, then she would do it. She didn't understand why he wanted <em>_**Gajeel**__ of all people to train her, but there wasn't anything that could be done about it now. _This is gonna be a **really** long month_, she thought grimly._

~.~

Gajeel sighed in relief when they finally reached the base of the mountains. Normally he would have thrown his pack on the ground and collapsed in a heap from exhaustion, especially with how the universe had decided to throw the most intense heat wave their way—most likely just to see if the surface of Earthland could get hot enough to melt even his iron. Since he didn't have his pack with him, Gajeel sat down in the only shaded area provided by a wispy little tree and ripped his shirt off of him to wipe away his sweat, then leaned his head back against the bark and closed his eyes. The last few hours of the trek had left him completely drained, but luckily the little blonde with him had finally figured out how to stay quiet so he didn't have to hear her grating voice. He tuned everything out while he tried to absorb as much of the relief the insignificant shade provided him, so when he opened his eyes again they took in their surroundings and honed in on one sight in particular.

_You've gotta be kidding me,_ Gajeel thought while he stared at the very tantalizing sight in front of him. Lucy was on her hands and knees a few yards in front of him and facing the opposite direction while she hammered a stake into the ground for a tent. The black mini-skirt he'd been avoiding earlier was doing absolutely nothing to hide her most intimate of areas while she was bent like that, and it did even less when her body swayed with each swing of the hammer. His jaw dropped open slightly when she huffed while she almost fell over, then spread her legs wider so she had more balance. _Who wears shit like that while on a mission?!,_ he absently thought while his eyes trained in on the small slip of bright red lace covering her sex and disappearing between those far-too-tempting cheeks of her rear. She sat back on her heels, keeping her legs spread wide, and wiped the sweat from her brow. After another deep breath, where he saw the luckiest little droplet of sweat sliding down her spine, she turned to the side to look at the other corner of the tent.

Gajeel didn't dare to move, not even to adjust his pants when they got tighter around his awakening arousal, when he saw the last stake sitting propped between her pink plump lips and clenched between her teeth. She clenched the hammer in her hand, and single-mindedly crawled over to the final corner of the tent. Gajeel didn't know if she was doing it on purpose—the way her hips swayed with each movement, how her back arched, or how she paused mid-crawl to sit back up and tie her hair into a high and sloppy ponytail before returning to her previous activity—or if the blonde he was travelling with was completely oblivious to how she looked. Maybe she had forgotten he was even there in the first place.

"Come on, you dumb son-of-a-bitch," Lucy grumbled while she tried to force the tip of the last stake into the ground. She was meeting much more resistance than she should be, so Lucy propped herself up on her knees and used both hands to bear down on it with short and powerful bursts; all to no avail. With a final grunt, she picked the stake back up and sat back on her knees only to drop it unceremoniously onto the ground beside her and hear an unnerving clank of metal on stone. _No,_ she thought, _Please don't tell me I put it too close to the mountain!_ Lucy pushed the moss on the ground away and sighed when she saw the impenetrable stone of the mountain leading right up to the final corner of the tent. "Oh, you've gotta be _fucking_ kidding me!" she shouted. "Really, mountain?! Right here? Right—" Lucy picked the stake up and stabbed the stone repeatedly while she continued, "_Fucking_ HERE?! You're a sick bastard, mountain… You know that?! A sick, twisted bastard!"

Gajeel had no words for her reaction to her mistake. She kept hitting the ground with the stake and berating a damn _rock_ for its existence, then screamed louder than anyone should be allowed to while she threw the unoffending piece of metal deep into the woods.

"It's too hot for this," Lucy whined, plopping roughly down on her butt and pulling the top hem of her shirt away from her body to try and blow some form of cooler air between her breasts. Her father would probably have a coronary if he saw her doing something so crude, but it was just one more reason she was glad she had run away. She sat in silence, stewing over her unfortunate fate, when a breeze brushed by and only brought hotter air with it. "ARRRRRGH!" Lucy screeched, rushing over to her bag and pulling out a bathing suit she used for when she needed to bathe in the wilderness—just in case someone would happen by, she wouldn't be caught naked—and ripped her shirt off over her head and popped the clasp on her bra in a matter of seconds. She tied the bathing suit top then pulled off her skirt and panties, throwing them into a heap on the ground with her other clothes, and pulled the bottoms up. Once clothed, Lucy bent down and grabbed her belt with her keys and whip, and fastened it around her hips just in case she needed them. Normally she would have taken her boots off as well, but she didn't want to hurt herself while she kept trying to make camp.

Gajeel swore he was having a dream right then. While he hadn't gotten a view of much more than her completely bared back, the side of one breast, and her bare ass while she changed, it was enough to have him believing that this wasn't real. The blonde's body was too perfect, her skin only marred by a few small light scars that were clearly from her missions over the past three months. Everything he had noticed the first time he saw her was stripped bare right in front of him, and her slightly tanned skin was almost glowing while sweat continued to pour down her body. _She has to have forgotten I'm here,_ he thought incredulously.

Stomping back over to the loose corner of the tent, Lucy dropped to her hands and knees again and searched for the place where there was actually soil that she could get a stake through. "It's hopeless," Lucy whined, leaning back and wiping her brow of sweat again. She looked around the base of the mountain and saw a relatively large rock that she could use to hold down the corner of the tent. Lucy scrambled to her feet and rushed over to it, almost as if someone else might steal it if she didn't get there fast enough. She was barely able to lift it, but Lucy refused to be defeated by a stupid rock. She hefted it higher until it landed on her shoulder and carefully made her way back to the tent. As soon as she lowered it to the ground, grunting from the exertion while she did so and feeling a deep burn in her thighs and arms, Lucy made sure the tent was fully secured then started jumping around in a delirious form of joy. "Haha!" Lucy cheered, turning and pointing up at the mountain, "Take that, you rat bastard!"

"Bunny Girl, I think you're hallucinating," Gajeel finally said when he broke free from his perusal of her bikini-clad body. Before she turned to look at him, he made sure his face was turned in a scowl and his leg was propped up so she couldn't see the tent in his pants.

Lucy turned to glare at Gajeel, her hands on her hips and rage wafting off of her in droves. "I thought you were passed out, Gajeel," she hissed. _Oh man, how much did he see? Please tell me that he just woke up when I put the rock down…_

"I wasn't sleeping in the first place," Gajeel grunted.

Lucy's fists clenched and she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down at least a little. One breath after another, and finally Lucy threw her hands into the air in utter exasperation. "Then why the hell did I do all of the work while you were sitting under a tree?!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Look around, dipshit!" Lucy screeched, throwing her hand out to the side towards the camp. "You're the one that sat there for over an hour!"

Gajeel raised a pierced eyebrow at her, then stood up and walked to where she was pointing. His jaw dropped when he saw that she had apparently set up a tent, a fire pit with a wide log next to it, and had already started cooking dinner. There were two bowls and spoons set off to the side of the pit where a large pot was already being heated with what smelled like a delicious rabbit stew. "I just closed my eyes for a minute," Gajeel muttered to himself before turning to look at the raging blonde. "_You_ did all this?"

Lucy stared at him like he was an idiot then nodded dramatically. "You're a dick if you weren't really sleeping. I figured I'd let you get some rest since you're the one that has to train me." She crossed her arms under her chest and sighed while she looked over at the corner of the tent where the rock was sitting. "I'm not _that _helpless you know…"

Before Gajeel could say anything, not that he would have known what to say to her in the first place, Lucy roughly brushed past him and sat down on the log while she stirred the stew. She leaned down and pulled a few small jars from a little blue bag and started dumping flakes of freshly ground parsley and thyme into the mixture, then put them away and continued stirring.

"Your bag's in the tent, by the way. I had Virgo bring it when she dropped off the supplies in case you needed anything," Lucy mumbled. When she heard him walking into the tent, she muttered, "You're welcome."

Gajeel scowled at the ground once he was in the tent. There was only a single bedroll, and he saw that his bag had been placed in the center of what he could only assume was where he would be sleeping. _Where the hell is she sleeping if I'm supposed to be in here?_ Leave it to the annoying blonde to do something nice, yell at him, and then confuse the hell out of him. Instead, he decided not to dwell on it and grabbed a fresh set of clothes so he could wash himself off in a nearby stream. He stalked out of the tent and left the camp without a word, and spent the entire time he was cleaning the sweat from himself trying to figure the girl out. Clearly something was amiss in the way Master Jose looked at her as weak, since he'd watched her carrying that rock with only the slightest bit of strain, but Gajeel had seen for himself what she looked like when she returned from her missions. He could only assume that Master Jose had talked with her about the way she looked when she came back from her first mission, because it had never happened again; now, when she came back six kinds of fucked up, she was in fresh clothes and bandages even though she was about to collapse.

Lucy sighed when Gajeel walked away from the camp. She saw the clothes in his hand and figured he was going to clean up before they ate, so she allowed herself the small bit of space to let her emotions get the better of her. Her constant guilt over the lives that had been lost due to her negligence or by her own hand swelled, and wave after wave of other emotions crashed through her until she felt like she was drowning. She was always alone, but that wasn't really anything new since it had been that way once her mother had died; the only difference between then and now was that she didn't have a single person she could talk to. Bero and a few other servants were always nice to her, and willing to at least hold a decent conversation; now, Lucy had no one. She had been the one to rip herself from their lives, and them from hers, and now she was paying the price. The only person she talked to, aside from Tom at the guild when she ordered a smoothie, was Gajeel. Then again, her conversations with him always ended up with them arguing in one way or another, and wouldn't stop until one of them got too angry and walked off. She was scared that she would get kicked out of the guild for being too weak, for not representing the guild properly and giving them a bad name. All Lucy had ever wanted was to have people accept her for who she was, and while Phantom Lord had accepted her into their ranks she wasn't happy. She was part of a guild—something that she had assumed would make her happy—but she wasn't accepted. She just existed instead of living life to its fullest.

"I don't even know what it's like to really be happy, anymore," Lucy whispered to the stew she was stirring. Her writing was even suffering as she grew more and more depressed with each passing day, the characters and plot taking on a more tragic and dreary life as a whole, and she knew that eventually she would lose the will to try and pen even one more word. She sniffled and leaned back from the stew, setting her forehead in her hands while her elbows rested on her knees. She let her tears fall for the first time in months, silently and without holding back. "I'm so tired of being alone…" When she heard a twig crack, Lucy figured that Gajeel must be on his way back, so she roughly wiped her face to get rid of any sign of weakness and grabbed a change of clothes for herself. As soon as she saw him breaking through the line of trees, Lucy kept her head down and walked past him at a measured pace so she could wash up. "It'll be ready by the time I'm back," she said just loud enough for him to hear while she walked away.

Gajeel's mouth opened to say something when Lucy brushed past him, but he immediately closed it again. He'd been standing in the tree line for about ten minutes, watching her cry without making a single sound. He didn't know why he hadn't just walked back in and started ripping into her for being a wimp, but something had held him back. He'd stayed utterly silent, the smell of salt in the air overpowering the stew she was cooking, and heard every word she had said. _"I'm so tired of being alone…"_ Finally, Gajeel had intentionally made a noise so she would know he was coming, though he couldn't figure out why he should care if she had enough time to compose herself, and then went as far as giving her another minute before walking into the clearing where she could see him. He growled while he walked through the camp and put his dirty clothes in his bag. _Why the fuck should I care?!_ Lucy was the one with issues, and she needed to grow up and deal with them. Her issues weren't his problem, and he mentally kicked himself for not making her feel like crap for crying.

Lucy gave herself a pep talk while she walked back to the camp. She felt much cleaner, even though she'd only really rinsed the sweat off of herself in the stream, and at least a little refreshed. _He probably wasn't paying attention anyway,_ she said to herself, _Why would he care if I was crying? _Lucy knew that if Gajeel had noticed her in that state, he would have never let her live it down; which could only mean that he hadn't noticed it at all. Once she broke through the tree line, she saw Gajeel sitting on the log and staring intently into the fire. The flames danced in his blood red eyes, making them more menacing than ever, and Lucy had to suppress a shudder that wanted to run through her when his eyes slowly moved to meet hers. She looked away and put her swim suit on the ground next to the fire so it could dry, then picked up her other clothes and crammed them into her bag. She sat down on the log and stirred the stew again, then pulled the spoon out and dipped her finger into the scalding broth. She licked her finger, found that the meal was perfect, and quickly dished up their bowls.

They ate in utter silence, the only noises in the small clearing coming from the surrounding nocturnal fauna, the crackling of the fire, and their spoons lightly tapping against their bowls. Gajeel helped himself to a second serving, and when he saw that Lucy had set her empty bowl down on the ground, finished off the rest of the stew.

"You sure eat a lot," Lucy said half-heartedly.

"Dragon Slayer thing," Gajeel muttered.

"I still don't know what that is," Lucy said softly while she looked up at the stars with a gentle smile. She loved seeing those constellations twinkling above her and sending down phantom traces of the warmth and love she had felt when her mother was still alive.

"Not important."

"Well, if we're supposed to work together, don't you think I should know something about your magic?" Lucy asked, finally turning to look curiously at Gajeel.

Gajeel sighed, setting his empty bowl down, then glared at Lucy. He could see not only curiosity swimming in her deep brown eyes that lit up with each flicker of the flames next to them, but also an eerie determination. _Master Jose said to gain her trust,_ Gajeel reminded himself. He wasn't sure exactly how to gain someone's trust, since he had never cared to do so before, but maybe answering a few questions of hers would start building it up. "I'm an Iron Dragon Slayer," he said, turning towards her and throwing one leg over the log so he was straddling it, "Dragon Slayer magic is a Lost Magic, but basically I've got the powers of an iron dragon."

"Where'd you learn it?" Lucy asked, turning so she mirrored Gajeel's position and silently thanking herself for wearing a pair of pants instead of shorts.

"A dragon."

Lucy's eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open in shock. "Seriously?" she asked, her voice filled with wonder. "How?"

"Don't worry about it."

Lucy glared at Gajeel, then nodded when she could tell he wouldn't budge on the subject. "Okay… so what kind of powers did you get with your magic?"

Gajeel hesitated, not wanting to tell her anything about himself. When she kept staring at him expectantly, he sighed and said, "Well, you saw me change my finger into a knife, but I can do that with my whole arm. I can change my skin into metallic scales if I need to, and they're damn near impenetrable."

Lucy rolled her eyes at the smug smirk on Gajeel's face, then waved her hand for him to continue.

"Uh… ranged attacks would be a roar, turning my limbs into metal poles that can extend at will. I can create metal that's sturdier than pretty much anything you'll find, and shape it into whatever I want for the most part."

"Is that all you got with your magic?" she asked, tilting her head to the side, "Or do the sharp teeth come along with it?"

Gajeel snorted. "Sharp teeth, enhanced senses—sight, hearing, taste, smell—along with increased strength, speed, stamina, appetite… you get the idea."

"Enhanced senses?" Lucy asked cautiously, "How enhanced?"

Gajeel smirked and crossed his arms over his chest, then leaned a little closer to her while he said, "I can smell emotions on people—their fear, excitement, jealousy… arousal." He paused for a moment and watched a light blush covering Lucy's cheeks, but she didn't look away from him. "And tears." He looked pointedly at her, and waited to see how she would react. What he'd expected was shame or something along those lines, so when her face hardened for a moment in anger before shutting down completely he was definitely surprised. After a full minute of silence, he continued. "I can also track scents, smell poison, and tell what a person's natural scent is even through their perfume and body wash."

Lucy's eyebrow quirked. "Really?" When Gajeel nodded, she asked, "So, what do I smell like?"

"Not tellin', Bunny Girl." There was no way that he would tell her just how sweet she smelled, or how he'd followed her the first time he'd scented her out. There definitely wasn't a snowman's chance in hell that he would admit to finding out last month that she actually smelled like cake icing; nor would he say that he'd gone to a bakery when he thought he'd smelled her only to find out it was a fresh batch of the stuff. Nope, not a chance.

Lucy pouted and sighed, then said, "Okay, what about the other senses?"

"I can hear up to about half a mile away. With _you_? Your loud ass mouth would probably carry a whole damn mile." Gajeel chuckled when Lucy rolled her eyes with a huff, then continued. "I can see just about as far, and just as well in light as in the dark. Taste?... Well, I guess it's just stronger." Finally, Gajeel shrugged and uncrossed his arms, then leaned back and propped himself up on his hands while he watched Lucy thinking over what he'd said.

"What about your piercings?"

"What about 'em?"

"Is that a Slayer thing too?"

"No, that's just me," Gajeel said, raising an eyebrow at her and daring her to say something to start another argument.

Lucy nodded, thinking over her next question, then looked into his eyes and asked, "So, what about eating metal?"

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her. "What about it?" he asked defensively.

"Why do you do it?"

"Dragon Slayers have to eat their element to maintain their magic. It helps us heal and regain some of our magic in dire straits, but we can still be affected by magical exhaustion—just takes longer if we have access to our element," Gajeel answered.

"There's more than one of you?" Lucy asked. "Like another Iron Dragon Slayer?"

Gajeel shook his head. "There's a rumor about a Fire Dragon Slayer, goes by the name Salamander. But, I'm the only Iron Slayer. Not sure about any others though."

"How many should there be?"

Gajeel shrugged and sighed, looking away into the fire instead of meeting her inquisitive gaze. "Dunno. Probably one for every element, but a lot of them died out before I was even born—least… that's what I was told."

Lucy's brow furrowed when she looked at Gajeel. While he was talking, she saw something she didn't even think he was capable of: sadness. It flickered across his face for the briefest of moments before he hid it from her and looked into the dying flames. "Can I see it sometime?" she asked softly, looking down at her hands instead of his profile.

"Yeah, during training," Gajeel answered with a smirk.

"How about right now?" she asked hopefully. "Just a little."

Gajeel turned back to her and frowned. "Why?"

With a shrug and a soft smile, Lucy's gaze didn't leave her hands while she said, "I think it sounds awesome. So far, I've only seen you make a knife, but that was when you were threatening to kill me."

After a few silent minutes, Gajeel sighed and said, "Whaddya wanna see?"

Lucy's eyes shot up and a wide grin spread across her face. "Really?" she asked excitedly. She scooted closer to him until their knees were touching, then crossed her legs in front of her on the log while he stared at her like she was trying to poison him.

"Yeah," Gajeel muttered. _Guess I'm doing something right to get her to trust me…_

"Um…" Lucy mumbled, slightly nervous, "Can I see… your scales?"

Gajeel smirked and sat up fully. He held one arm in front of Lucy and shifted his skin into his metallic scales, while the three piercings on his arm turned into metal spikes and his nails elongated into claws, and watched with a small sense of amusement when her eyes went wider than he'd thought possible.

"Wow," Lucy whispered. She brought a hand up slowly, wondering if he'd let her touch them, and questioningly looked into his gleaming ruby eyes. "Can I…?" Gajeel looked slightly startled for a second, then his face shut down and he nodded at her. Lucy grinned and looked back at his arm, then lightly brushed her fingers over the scales from his elbow to his wrist and back. The metal was cool to the touch, and she felt each groove between the scales while she kept running her fingers over them. Without thinking, Lucy brought her other hand up and grabbed Gajeel's hand, but she froze when she felt him tense. "Sorry…" she whispered, pulling her hands away from him quickly and looking away.

"Nah, just surprised me," Gajeel grunted. He grabbed her hands and put them back on his scaled arm and watched her face for every reaction she let out. Surprise that he was letting her continue, awe when she started moving her fingers along his scales again, curiosity when she circled one of his piercings and poked the tip of the spike lightly. He couldn't help but wonder why she had wanted to see his magic in the first place, or why she had asked to see his scales out of everything he had told her, but that train of thought faded when she turned his arm over and started examining the skin-turned-metal that was smooth instead of scaled. Lucy's thumb brushed from the smooth area to the scaled and back, her head tilting to the side, then she moved down to his hand.

Lucy felt her cheeks darken in a light blush when she held his metallic hand in one of her own and ran the fingers of her other hand over every inch of it—his palm, the back of his hand, his wrist, and down each of his fingers. _I never thought I'd be doing something like __**this**__ when I first met him, _she thought. She studied the claws at the ends of his fingers for a moment, lifting his hand and pulling it closer to her face, then carefully touched the tip of one claw. She winced and pulled her finger back, popping it into her mouth to catch the small droplet of blood that leaked from the pinprick. When the blood flow stopped almost immediately, Lucy pulled her finger out of her mouth and smiled when she looked into Gajeel's eyes. "That's pretty cool," she said softly. "But, I think you should cut your nails. Don't you think it's a little feminine to have them so long?"

Gajeel's eyes narrowed into a menacing glare and he growled lightly at her. "They're claws, Bunny Girl. There's a difference."

Lucy waved him away dismissively with a smirk and said, "Sure, if it makes you feel better."

"Don't make me hurt you," Gajeel said with a malicious grin, chuckling when she clamped her mouth shut and glared at him.

Lucy sat for a few minutes, letting the silence fill the air. Just after she yawned, Lucy said, "I have one more question."

"What?"

"How often do Slayers need to eat their element?"

"Every couple days at least."

"What happens if you don't?"

"You don't wanna find out, Bunny Girl." Gajeel snorted then said, "That was more than one question."

Lucy rolled her eyes and got up to pull out her bedroll. She laid it on the ground by the fire, crawled into it, then said, "Well, you're not exactly the most forthcoming with your answers, so I needed to ask more questions just to get an answer I was satisfied with."

"You're sleeping out here?" Gajeel asked. When Lucy nodded, then rolled over and closed her eyes, he shrugged and walked into the tent. "Sunrise," he called out before settling himself down to try and get some sleep.

* * *

><p>Gajeel's eyes shot open just like they did every time he woke up. He took in his surroundings twice and finally remembered he was sleeping in a tent at the base of the mountains he and Lucy would be going through for the next week or so. He slowly sat up, checking with all of his senses to make sure there wasn't anyone trying to sneak up on them. He heard the dimming sounds of the animals around them making their way to their nests and homes to sleep the day away, leading into the soothing silence that existed for a very short period of time just before the other animals would wake up and start foraging. He smelled the forest itself: the bark of the trees that thinned as they neared the mountain, the earthy dung left by deer, the fallen leaves that were slowly rotting to nourish the forest floor, and the faint scent of burnt wood left from the fire the night before. The small amount of ambient light that was able to breach the lining of the tent let him know that the sun was still trying to rise from its slumber, and he knew there was still at least an hour before it would break halfway past the horizon. Gajeel frowned when he didn't hear the blonde he was travelling with in any shape or form; there was no steady breathing from her still being asleep, no heartbeat to accompany her presence. He rubbed a hand over his face and pulled his blanket off of his legs, then stood up and took another deep inhale to try and assure himself that she was around. Nearly every trace of her scent was gone, almost as if she had never existed in the first place.<p>

He rushed out of the tent, pulling on his shirt and boots as he went with wide eyes while he scanned the surrounding clearing. Another whiff: no blood in the air. There was a slight chill to the air and it hung thick with a faint pre-dawn mist. He couldn't see her bag anywhere, or even the bedroll she had slept in. A look at the forest floor made it feel like a ton of lead had dropped into his stomach and pushed everything in him to the floor. Where her bedroll had been seemed completely undisturbed, as if the grass there had never been home to a sleeping blonde woman. He took another step, looking up at the mountain, then over to the trees, and felt that same sense of abandonment Metallicana's disappearance had forced on him years ago. He let out a rumbling growl when he considered the fact that the little blonde woman made him feel that way, and his hatred for her started to take root deep inside of him. _That's what I get for trying to get her to trust me,_ he thought sourly as his hands ran through his hair. _Fucking Jose and this stupid mission._

Gajeel felt a tingle go up his spine and opened the eyes he hadn't realized he closed to see a faint golden light glowing from further within the forest. It was emitting some form of magic that seemed familiar in some way—though he couldn't place how or why—so he silently stalked towards it to find out what was going on. As Gajeel inhaled and his behind a tree, his eyes widened when he smelled that sugary almond concoction that was exclusive to one woman. He peered around the edge of the tree and saw her sitting cross-legged on the ground with her eyes closed in a small clearing they had passed through before they got to the mountain. The day before, it had been nothing special to look at—just some grass and a dead log here and there with moss growing over it. Now, with the golden light spilling from her in gentle and soothing waves, the clearing seemed to have gained some serene beauty he'd never witnessed in all his life. Her magic flowed from her in tendrils of glittering gold, sweeping lazily outwards to dance along her surroundings, and the aura she emitted was what had eventually led him to this place. Gajeel walked carefully around the edge of the tree and sat down, directly in her line of sight should she open her eyes, to watch her in awe while the next wave of golden light that filled the clearing washed over him as well.

He saw a deer enter the clearing out of the corner of his eye, carefully smelling the grass and its surroundings as any animal would do when they encounter something odd. It never looked in his direction, but trained its gaze on Lucy herself and skirted around the edge of the clearing while it avoided the more intense light centered on her. Once the deer was gone, having decided it was better to leave the woman alone, Gajeel watched as her hands turned over so the backs of them were resting on her knees. He felt the magic around the clearing increasing, and then saw the tendrils around her arcing gracefully to land in her open palms until there were two large orbs hovering just over her hands. He was absolutely mesmerized by the sight of the golden orbs that swirled with what looked like millions of stars, and the longer he looked at them the more he felt like he was being drawn in. Images popped into his head that he couldn't place or begin to understand: a mermaid, a clock, a cross, a harp, a compass, a crab, a bull, a bow and arrow, a dog, and a maid. His eyes widened when he saw the pink hair and emotionless blue eyes of the maid, and that was when Gajeel put together the pieces of what he'd seen. Lucy's spirits, each and every one that she owned, were swirling in the depths of those orbs; if not the spirits themselves, then something to do with them—maybe memories of them or the love she felt for them—but whatever it was, he had seen them.

Lucy held her meditation for as long as possible, and when she finally felt the orbs in her hands starting to wobble, she scrunched her face in determination and tried to go just a little longer. Her senses were coming back, and she knew it was a futile effort to keep trying, so she carefully pulled her magic back into herself. Once every bit of it was safely nestled inside of her again, Lucy sighed with a sweet smile on her face. She was proud of herself for her progress—since a brush of her hand over Horolgium's key told her that she'd been meditating for over an hour, and held the orbs for twenty minutes—and felt relief and a sense of calm washing through her at the thought of making her spirits stronger and proud as well. Her eyes slowly opened and landed lazily on a dumbfounded Gajeel, leaning against a tree with his mouth hanging open while he gaped at her. Lucy, unable to find it in herself to be angry right then and most likely running on a small high from the rush of her magic settling itself back into place within her, giggled lightly and flopped back onto the grass to look up at the stars that started disappearing as the sun began to light up the sky.

Her laughter broke him from whatever trance he'd been in, but before Gajeel could consider the fact that she was laughing at him, her head rolled to the side so she could see him and her arm lazily patted the grass next to her while the smile never left her face. Gajeel crossed his arms over his chest, a firm dismissal evident in his posture, but she didn't seem fazed in the slightest.

"Come look," Lucy whispered to him, turning her eyes heavenward once more to take in the beauty of the sky above them. "Come on, nothing to be scared of."

Gajeel snorted derisively and got up from his position against the tree, stalking towards her and glaring down at her with all of the malice he possessed. "I—"

"It's beautiful," she said. "How they fade in the brilliance of the biggest star of them all. Standing in the background of the sun's majesty while it rouses the world from darkness." She looked away from the sky and met Gajeel's glare with more serenity than she normally possessed in his presence. "Come look, Gajeel."

_She's either stoned out of her fucking mind, or a total sap._ Gajeel rolled his eyes and laid down on the lush grass next to the spaced out blonde. _It's my job to make sure she doesn't get her ass killed either, and I doubt she would have a clue if a whole dark guild came rushing through the woods right now._ "What am I looking at?" he asked gruffly.

"Heaven," she answered wistfully. When Gajeel snorted again and moved to get up, her hand shot out and grabbed his calloused hand to hold him in place. "It's true. Maybe not in the sense of gods and demons and all of that—not in a religious context—just in the peace it provides. Tell me what you see."

Gajeel's brow furrowed while he looked at her. Her eyes never left the sky, and they were shining with unshed tears, yet her hand had caught his as if she was a trained fighter with immense speed and accuracy. He sighed and adjusted himself so he was more comfortable, then looked back up at the sky. "I see the sky," he said plainly.

"What do you see in the sky?"

"Stars."

"What else?"

"There's nothing else there, Bunny Girl."

"Do you see the sunlight peeking over the horizon? Washing the stars away in its light?" she asked softly.

Gajeel's eyes scanned from where the sun was rising in the east, a light pink melding with the dark blue of the dwindling night sky, over to the west where the stars were still shining brightly. It was like a battlefield to him: the sun on one side trying to overpower the opposing night sky filled with millions of warriors that gleamed brightly as they valiantly stood their ground, unwilling to be swayed from their positions even though there was no way for them to win.

"What do _you_ see, Gajeel?" she asked.

"War," Gajeel answered with a frown.

Lucy's head tilted to the side while she looked over the sky again, almost as if looking from a different angle would allow her to see his point of view. After a moment, she giggled and nodded. "I guess you're right," she whispered conspiratorially. "It's like the stars are rebelling against their leader. They won't win, but they try just the same and never give up."

Gajeel turned to look at her with utter confusion. Lucy hardly ever agreed with him on anything, and the one time it _does_ happen is when she's talking about the sky of all things. "Are you high or something?" he asked.

Lucy shook her head, then squeezed his hand lightly. "This is the best part," she whispered, turning to look into his eyes for a moment before looking back into the sky, "Watch."

In the short time Gajeel had known Lucy, and even shorter time that he'd spent more than a few minutes in her presence, he had never seen her eyes dancing with so much happiness. Gajeel didn't know if that was directed at him at all, or because of whatever was making her act all loopy, but he knew without a doubt that it was the first time in his life he'd had anyone _look at him_ with that emotion inside of them. It shook the very foundation of his being to have someone he hated, and knew felt the same way about him, allow that much of themselves be seen unhidden while looking into his eyes.  
>"Look," Lucy said again, her smile turning wide and giggling while she held onto the large hand in hers. "One final attack for the time being. A last ditch effort to come out victorious."<p>

Gajeel turned to look back up at the sky, and saw long streaks of light travelling from the nearly-vanished night sky towards the encroaching sun. Just like Lucy said, it looked as though the night sky was sending one last volley to try and win the hypothetical war the two mages saw. _Shooting stars?_, he thought in wonder. It wasn't often that he got to see them, and he usually avoided them because the first time he'd watched something like this was with Metallicana while they had laid in a clearing much like this one just outside of the cave they called a home. His body tensed with the anger that filled him when memories of a happier time in his life came crashing back through him, and he ripped his hand away from Lucy's grasp before storming back through the forest to their camp.

Once the last of the stars had faded for the day to begin, Lucy sat up slowly and sighed in defeat. She felt just like those stars her entire life, always fighting a losing battle with those around her. She fought her mother's illness and death any way she could, but she failed. Fought against her father and ran away to find happiness, only to be unhappy every single day she was gone. Fought to be accepted, yet she never was. Now, she was fighting to build some sort of less-than-hostile relationship with Gajeel, who had showed her a part of his own magic the night before, and seemed to be failing at every turn. Just like those stars that warred with the sun every morning, Lucy's life felt like it was bathed in darkness, and instead of a beautiful and revitalizing light winning out, she was forced to endure the searing heat of scorn and rejection again and again.

Lucy slowly made her way back to the camp, with downcast eyes and the joy she'd felt coursing through her from the stars' battle in the sky diminishing with each step. Once she broke through the tree line, Lucy saw that everything had been packed up and the camp was completely dismantled, with their bags sitting next to the log they'd eaten their dinner on. Gajeel was violently slamming his fists into the side of the mountain, growling and grunting with exertion, and Lucy's eyes widened when she saw the blood stains he left behind on the rock. "Gajeel!" she shouted angrily while she rushed over, "What the fuck are you doing?!"

Gajeel didn't hear her, just the loud roar of his own foster father echoing that night for the last time—since the next day, Gajeel woke up completely alone without a clue or even a scent to follow to find him—and memories he'd buried long ago surfacing. He let out his anger on the only thing he could, a huge mountain that would be able to take the beating he was dishing out. He felt a rough tug on his left arm, and whirled around with a powerful right hook that almost hit Lucy in the side of her head.

Lucy ducked down at the last second, feeling his fist hit the tips of her hair, and kicked her leg out to sweep his feet from under him. Gajeel crashed to the ground with a loud thud, and she backed up a step to glare at him while he rose to his feet. "What the hell, Gajeel?" she asked.

Gajeel growled at her and lunged forward, teeth bared viciously and one arm pulled back that jabbed forward to land a solid hit to her gut. "It's _your_ fucking fault!" he bellowed, readying himself to bring his knee up and hit her face while she was doubled over in pain.

Since Gajeel's fist was still pressed firmly into her stomach, Lucy latched onto his arm with her hands and teeth, causing a ferocious roar of pain to sound from the man, then rolled to the side away from his body while she held onto him. His arm twisted and he let out another growl while they both fell to the ground, and Lucy put all of her power into a solid kick to his stomach with both feet while they were lying on their sides. He grunted in pain while she scrambled away from him, immediately taking a defensive stance with a hand poised over her whip and keys and spitting out the blood that pooled in her mouth from when she'd bitten him. "What do you mean, it's my fault?" she asked while she tried to catch her breath.

Gajeel growled again and sprung off of the ground, catching her around the waist and slamming her down beneath him. Her hands clawed at his face, her feet kicking wildly, while he wrapped a hand around her neck and started to squeeze. Every small scrape of her nails on his flesh or kick of her heels against him had his ire rising, and his grip on her throat tightened until her eyes widened in shock.

Lucy's vision was starting to fill with black dots as he cut off her oxygen, and if she could have cried out in pain she would have when he raised a fist and slammed it into the right side of her face. Her hands slowed for an instant, and she tried to think of something she could do to get Gajeel off of her so she could breathe. The last time he'd choked her, she'd been able to catch him off guard by kicking him in the stomach while feinting with a punch, but that wouldn't work this time. _Think, think, think!_

Gajeel's hand pulled back again, and he roared in his anguish while he punched her. "You're the one to blame!" he seethed, his body shaking with the rage and torment he felt. The loneliness from his past melded with what he'd felt in the morning when he couldn't find her, and it only made him angrier.

"Please, Gajeel," Lucy croaked, dropping her hands to the one wrapped tightly around her throat and trying to loosen his grip. She felt a tear trickling down the side of her face while she looked into his eyes, the light of dawn drowned out by his mane of black hair that hung around them. When it proved useless to try and pull his hand away, Lucy found one last shred of determination and her hands shot up to the roots of his hair, then she yanked with everything she had.

Gajeel let out another roar and his hands shot up to hers, letting go of her neck and stopping the onslaught of attacks against the blonde's bloody face. That distraction seemed to be all she needed when her knee shot up between his legs, effectively knocking all of the air out of him and causing him to fall off of her onto the ground in a heap.

Lucy rolled onto her side, coughing and sucking in as much air as she possibly could while Gajeel did the same. She was luckily the first one to recover enough to move, so she jumped on top of him, rolling him onto his back and roughly pinning his hands to the ground while she straddled his hips. Lucy and Gajeel glared at each other, his fists clenching tightly while he snapped his jaws and continued growling at her, and her forcing his hands back down with a strength she didn't know she possessed every time he tried to move them. "What… the fuck… is wrong… with you," she panted.

Gajeel spat in Lucy's face, feeling entirely emasculated by being pinned by the petite woman, but his small victory was short lived when her knee lifted and quickly dropped between his legs again. He grunted and squeezed his eyes shut as pain burst through his body, the urge to vomit roiling inside of him, and the wind was knocked out of him again. He glared at her as soon as he was able to, then said, "It's your fucking fault."

"_What_ is my fault?!" Lucy screeched, watching as Gajeel winced slightly at how high and loud her voice was. "You haven't said anything to let me know what I did wrong, just that it's my fault, and I'm to blame for it. I have _no clue _what 'it' is, so maybe you should fucking enlighten me, you rusty piece of scrap metal!"

Gajeel fought again to bring his hands up, but his entire body protested the sudden movement as a painful throb started spreading from his family jewels outward. "_You_," he seethed, baring his teeth again, "Made me think about him."

"Who?! I didn't do anything!" Lucy yelled, bearing down on him with everything she had and propping herself up on her knees to gain more leverage. "All I did was talk about the stars!"

"Exactly!" Gajeel bellowed. "Fucking shooting stars and the sky and fighting…" His voice died in his throat while it constricted with an emotion he hadn't let himself feel in a long time. He pushed it back under as quickly as it came and let out a growl that didn't have nearly as much menace as it should have.

Lucy frowned at the devastation that flitted across his face and sat back, not paying attention to the position they were in, then slowly pulled Gajeel's hands away from the ground. She kept her grip tight when he tried to pull away, sending him a glare before she turned them over to look at his knuckles. They were split open enough for her to see the bones, and it even looked like he'd broken a couple, and there were scrapes and cuts all along his fingers with deep bruises starting to form. "I'm sorry," she whispered, not looking into his eyes and instead inspecting the bite wound between two of the piercings on his arm. "I didn't realize it was something that would upset you." Lucy carefully laid his hands down on the ground, then met his fiery red gaze that was still glaring at her. "I just wanted to show you a part of my magic that no one else gets to see… something that nobody ever appreciates."

Gajeel didn't know what to say to her. His anger with himself and her were warring within him. The pain from his past was boiling up inside, trying to overtake every bit of his body, heart, and soul. Lucy's kindness, even after he'd beaten her for his own issues that she never could have known about, made him sick to his stomach—partially from the kindness itself, and partially with himself for treating her that way. She had wanted to show him something about herself, her magic, most likely to reciprocate for what he had done for her the night before. He didn't know what to say or do, so he did nothing. He just laid there on the ground with the blonde sitting on him in a pair of dark blue jeans and black t-shirt, looking uncertainly into her saddened brown eyes.

"Open, Gate of the Maiden. Virgo," Lucy said weakly while she held her golden key out to the side. Virgo quickly appeared with a bow and a load of supplies in her hands. She silently laid them on the ground next to the two mages, then bowed to Lucy again and walked over to their bags to pick them up before she disappeared. Lucy sighed and moved everything so she could see what Virgo brought: gauze, tape, antiseptic ointment, bottles of water, alcohol, cotton balls, two sandwiches (one much larger than the other), a washcloth, a mirror, and several bars of iron. "Thank you, Virgo," Lucy whispered.

After taking a deep breath, Lucy lifted Gajeel's right hand and placed the iron bar into it, watching as his eyes widened before he looked incredulously at her. "Eat up," she said softly, "You said it helps you heal. I'll handle your other hand while you eat, okay?" She didn't wait for him to respond, and instead started working on his free hand. She cleaned it as gently as possible with the washcloth and water, set the few broken bones she found, then sanitized it with the alcohol and put the antiseptic ointment on it before bandaging it up. When Lucy saw that he had finished the first bar and was just staring at the hand she was still holding, she reached over and grabbed the next bar of iron and carefully placed it in his bandaged hand while she repeated the same actions on his other hand.

Gajeel finished the second bar and looked over to see another two bars of iron sitting within his reach. He grabbed one and started eating it while she finished up with his hand, and watched her face while she tended to the bite she'd left on his forearm. He nearly choked when her thighs tightened around him and her chest brushed lightly against his while she leaned forward to start cleaning the scratches on his face. He quickly grabbed her hands to stop her, swallowed the metal, then smelled the sadness and shame wafting off of her, with an underlying loneliness he knew all too well.

"Let me help you, Gajeel," Lucy whispered, "It's the least I can do since this is my fault." She sighed when he let her hands go, and cleaned the scratches on his face with alcohol and applied a small amount of antiseptic before sitting back and picking up the small mirror. She started dabbing at the cuts on her cheek and lip with the wet washcloth, lightly wiping away the blood from her nose before she noticed that it was broken. With a sigh, Lucy put the mirror down and ignored the continued silence from the Dragon Slayer on the ground since he'd finished eating his metal.

Gajeel's eyes widened in shock when he saw what Lucy was doing. She blew her nose into the washcloth, and the scent of her blood filled his nostrils. _Shit, I broke her nose?_, he thought when she pulled the bloodied cloth away to reveal a jagged cut across the bridge of her nose with the cartilage shifted to the side. She dropped the cloth to the ground and closed her eyes, pressing her fingertips together, then closed her hands around her nose. A single deep breath through her mouth, and her hands started slowly moving down towards her chin while she realigned it and exhaled through gritted teeth in a hiss, her eyes clenching tightly from the pain she was in. She picked the cloth up and wiped a small bit of blood from her face while she looked in the mirror again. He saw a wave of dizziness crash through her when she swayed slightly, and his bandaged hands shot up to steady her when she started falling forward.

"Thanks," Lucy said softly when she regained her composure after a moment, noticing that Gajeel's hands were tightly grasping her waist from when he'd helped keep her steady. She poured some alcohol onto a cotton ball and before she could lift the mirror again, she felt Gajeel shift beneath her while he sat up and took the cotton ball away from her. "What are you—"

"Shut it," Gajeel grumbled, carefully turning her head to the side with the hand that held the cotton ball while his other stayed on her waist, "You didn't know, so it's not your fault… Lemme help."

"I'll be fine, Gajeel," Lucy said while she tried to turn her head to look back at him. He glared at her and turned her head back to the side, but she still fought him. "Really, I can take care of myself."

"Sure, but you helped me so I should do the same," Gajeel reasoned. "It's what he taught me…" His voice was hardly more than a whisper when he added that, but he could tell Lucy heard him when she spoke.

"Who?" she whispered back.

"Metallicana. The dragon that taught me my magic," Gajeel said while he started cleaning the cuts on her face.

"You don't really seem like the helpful type," Lucy said with a smirk. "I'm pretty sure the only reason you're training me is because Master ordered you to."

"True, I'm not. And he did," Gajeel said with a nod, "But, I was taught to help those that help me. No one's ever helped me before, so I saw no need to help them. You did, so I will." He frowned when she hissed in pain as he dabbed her cheek, then dropped the cotton ball and gently prodded the skin there.

Lucy's eyes shot open wide and she gripped Gajeel's shoulders when pain bloomed across the cheek he was touching. She didn't make another noise after he dropped the cotton ball, clamping her lips shut and biting them to keep her pain to herself.

"Well, shit," Gajeel muttered when he felt the small space in her cheekbone through the swollen skin. His hand traveled carefully around her eye socket, closer to her nose and then up towards her temple, while he tried to find anymore gaps in the bone. When he didn't find any, Gajeel sighed and frowned. "I broke it," he said.

"How bad?" Lucy asked, whimpering and then internally kicking herself when he touched the same painful spot on her face.

"Not too bad, just one spot instead of the whole thing from what I can tell," he said. Gajeel raised his hand from her waist and held the opposite side of her head, then placed his thumb on her cheek and looked into her pained chocolate eyes. "I'm gonna have to set it…"

Lucy's eyebrows drew together in concern and she nodded before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. In one fluid motion, Gajeel's thumb pressed into her cheek while his other hand stabilized her, and Lucy let out a garbled cry while she squeezed his shoulders, tensing her entire body to stop herself from flailing around to get away from the pain. It was worse than setting her nose, and she instantly felt like she was going to be sick, but his hands left her head and she dropped it to his shoulder while her body trembled. She took deep breaths and willed the pain to stop, and after a few silent minutes she pulled her head back up and wiped away the few rogue tears that had leaked out.

"You good?" Gajeel asked carefully. When Lucy nodded slowly, with her eyes still closed and taking deep breaths as if she was trying to fight against the pain, he picked up the antiseptic and started dabbing it on her wounds. Once he was finished, he picked up the tape and a little gauze and made a small brace for her nose while it healed, then put a few pieces of tape along the one deep gash in her broken cheek.

"Is he the one I made you think about?" Lucy asked softly when she laid her head back down on Gajeel's shoulder once he was done. "Your dragon?"

Gajeel tensed when she rested her head on him again, his hands instinctually wrapping around her waist—which was apparently something neither of them were going to discuss, much like the position they were in, as they both ignored it—and her question had his breath catching in his throat. After he forced himself to relax, he nodded and said, "Yeah."

"I'm guessing you don't want to talk about it," Lucy said. When Gajeel nodded again, she sighed and added, "I get it, you know. At least a little bit…"

"I doubt it," Gajeel muttered. He scowled when he heard a light laugh from the blonde.

"Well, you can believe what you want," Lucy said softly, lifting her head so she could look into Gajeel's suspicious and narrowed eyes, "But, if you ever _do_ feel like talking about it… I'll listen, okay?"

"Why?"

"Because you're the asshole that broke my nose and cheek and almost suffocated me for making you think about him," Lucy said with a smirk when Gajeel glared at her with more intensity. She lightly poked him in the chest and added, "You also helped me, so clearly you're not a _complete_ asshole. It's a touchy subject, so I'll drop it like it never happened."

"So why…"

"Because contrary to popular belief, I'm not a total bitch," Lucy replied, smiling sweetly and drawing a rare chuckle from the Dragon Slayer. "You help me, I'll help you. I was taught the same thing."

After a moment, which was entirely uncomfortable for Gajeel based on what she'd said and how much he was enjoying feeling her pressed against his groin, he raised a studded eyebrow and smirked at her. "Well, as touching as this is… We still have to get through these mountains for our mission."

"What about my training for the morning?" Lucy asked.

"You sparred with me, and got your ass handed to you," Gajeel answered sagely, "I think you're good for today since you're already fucked up. But seriously… maybe you should stop grinding on my junk, ya skeez."

Lucy glared at him and grit her teeth in agitation. "You're the one holding me here, fucking pervert!"

"You didn't seem to mind," Gajeel said, his face becoming more lecherous by the second while his hands tightened around her waist.

Lucy scowled and punched him in the throat. As soon as his hands left her waist, she jumped away from him and fell on the ground laughing while he tried to breathe. "Ha!" she shouted, holding her sides, "Serves you right, Scrapmetal!"

"I'm gonna fucking kill you!" Gajeel wheezed.

* * *

><p>Three days passed while the two mages travelled through the mountains, keeping as close to the base as they could to shorten the time it took to get through. Every morning, Lucy would train with Gajeel, running a few miles (with or without his iron strapped to her), sparring where she was only to dodge or defend herself, and any other torturous workout he could think up. After that first morning, Lucy began meditating at dusk after they set up camp and ate dinner with Gajeel tagging along to make sure she wasn't attacked while she was in a trance. They would spend the rest of the night in either utter silence or arguing over one thing or another, but neither of them brought up what happened that day that they had watched the sunrise. They knew that the dynamic of their hate-filled relationship had changed, and while it was still mostly filled with anger or irritation for the other party, they also acknowledged that <em>something<em> was different. Lucy felt a little more comfortable around Gajeel, and even watched him while he trained with his magic from time to time. Gajeel on the other hand was unnerved by the small degree of closeness they had gained, and did everything in his power to maintain his intimidating presence—even though it had never worked on her before.

After another two days, Gajeel realized that they had made better time than he'd anticipated, and neither of them could wait to get to the first town on the other side of the mountain range so they could shower and sleep in a bed for a change. Gajeel had grown up in the wilderness, so using a stream to bathe and sleeping on the ground really wasn't much of an issue for him, but he had grown accustomed to a mildly comfortable bed in his own home.

"Oi, Bunny Girl," Gajeel said when he came back to the cave they were going to stay in for the night with soaked hair and freshly washed dishes from their dinner.

Lucy looked up from the book she had been reading, already having finished her meditation for the day, and laughed when she saw how soaked Gajeel was. She put her book down on the floor next to her bedroll and said, "You look like a drowned cat!"

Gajeel glared at her, then carefully set everything down and kicked his boots off by the fire before stalking angrily towards her. "Fuck you," he growled.

"Mmm," Lucy hummed in mock thought, "Nope, I'm good." She screeched when he grabbed his hair and roughly rung it out right onto her chest, then rolled away to glare at him while he smirked at her. "I'm gonna drown you myself," she grumbled.

"Good luck with that," Gajeel said. He walked over to his bag and pulled out a fresh pair of clothes, noticing that everything was already cleaned, and pulled his shirt off to drop it on the ground by the fire. Since he wasn't facing Lucy, he couldn't see the blush that stained her cheeks while she hungrily gazed at the muscles running along his bare back; however, he could smell the faintest change in her scent, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. _Probably reading that damn trashy novel again._ Gajeel toweled himself off and when he didn't hear the turning of a page, he chanced a quick glance out of the corner of his eye to see her staring at the mouth of the cave with a crimson flush on her cheeks.

Lucy got up and walked over to the cave's entrance, and grimaced when she saw the torrent of rain pouring down across the valley beyond. There was no way she was going to sit in front of Gajeel while he stripped down, because then she would most likely be caught ogling all of those rippling muscles that he had. It had been a while since a man had evoked such an intense carnal hunger in her, but this was the first time she'd ever been conflicted about it. Sure, she appreciated just how rugged and masculine Gajeel was, and freely admitted to herself that he was damn sexy in ways that made her body quiver with anticipation of all the pleasure he could give her. The only problem was that she couldn't stand him in the slightest: he was rude, egotistical, an overall asshole, and never knew when to shut his mouth. Her outstanding irritation from just being within earshot of him was constantly battling against her baser desires to tear off his clothes and tape his mouth shut so she could ride him into oblivion. Luck seemed to be on her side because every time she would start fantasizing about it, her mind would instantly jump in with all of the detestable qualities he possessed, effectively cutting off her raging libido in an instant.

When Lucy walked back into the cave a few minutes later, her scent was back to normal. Gajeel was sitting in front of the fire with only a pair of sweatpants on, letting the warmth of the flames help to dry him off. "Got a question," he said, his eyes never leaving the burning embers at the base of the small pit they'd made.

"Shoot," Lucy said, sitting down next to him and fiddling with her keys.

"Couple days ago," Gajeel started, noticing how she tensed, "What did you mean?"

Lucy looked over at Gajeel with a raised eyebrow and asked, "Huh?"

"About the stars and your magic. You said something about what no one else gets to see," Gajeel said with a frown. "What did you mean?"

Lucy looked back down at her keys and sighed sadly. "Just forget about it. It's not important."

Gajeel elbowed her in the side, and when she turned to glare at him he scowled. "I'll decide if it's important. Tell me."

"My spirits are represented by constellations in the night sky," Lucy said. "I've never had anyone in my life aside from my mom that really loved them the way I do, and any time I've tried to show someone anything related to my magic they just… They don't get it." She looked sadly down at her keys and continued. "Did you know that most people think shooting stars are actually the stars dying?"

"Aren't they?" Gajeel asked.

Lucy shook her head and smiled softly, then looked up at Gajeel. "No, they're not stars at all. Just big chunks of rock that hit our atmosphere and start to burn up while they fall down to Earthland."

"So why are they called shooting stars?"

Lucy giggled and lifted a hand into the air to make a sweeping arc above her head as she said, "Because they look just like stars that are flying across the sky. It's beautiful, and breathtaking, and…" She paused and dropped her hand back to her lap. "And no one really appreciates it. They see the stars as little burning balls of gas, or twinkling lights that mean it's nighttime. They don't see what I do… or what you saw that morning. The stars are just there to everyone else. But… They're more than just little balls of gas or twinkling lights to me."

"What are they then?"

"Friends," Lucy whispered. "The only friends I've ever had. Pretty pathetic, huh? Only having spirits as friends, and they're loyal to me because I have their keys."

Gajeel frowned again and stared into the fire. "So, what about the sunrise?"

Lucy chuckled and said, "That's what everyone focuses on. Not how the stars disappear because of the sun's rays, or how they're overshadowed by it. Everyone deals with the stars until they can see the sun again, because that sun is what they really want. It washes away the darkness, and bathes everything in light."

"I thought you said it was like heaven up there," Gajeel grunted.

"It is. It's peaceful. A small slice of serenity between the darkness brought on by night and the overwhelming reality of the day. For one small moment, the darkness and light are in perfect harmony; neither overpowering the other, just existing together. Everything is perfectly still on Earthland for a short period of time, just long enough for those stars to wage war against the sun and get just a little more time to shine down on us," Lucy whispered, looking up at the ceiling of the cave and wishing she could see the stars.

"So, why did you tell me to look?"

Lucy dropped her gaze to the fire, avoiding Gajeel's intense stare that was boring into her skull. "You showed me your magic, and I wanted to return the favor." With a small shrug, she added, "I guess I wanted to see if I'd finally met someone that could… Nevermind." Lucy stood up quickly and stalked toward the mouth of the cave, then walked out into the pouring rain to try and wash away her sadness. She felt tears pouring down her cheeks, only to be washed away by the rain, and Lucy hugged herself tightly while she tried to keep her balance on the steep slope. She walked aimlessly through the sparse trees at the base of the mountain they were staying on, and when she was able to see the sky again, she sighed and whispered, "I can't even see them through the clouds. Why? Why can't the stars win just once?"

The rustling of some bushes nearby had Lucy chuckling darkly. "Just leave me alone, Gajeel. I'm not in the mood to be made fun of right now," she said, turning her attention back to the sky and wishing the clouds would leave. The bushes rustled again, and the hairs on the back of Lucy's neck stood to attention. Her hands shot down to her hips to grasp her keys and whip, and that was when she realized she had never taken them with her. She was in a t-shirt and pajama pants, with no shoes to protect her feet, and no weapons or magic. Slowly, Lucy turned around and gasped when three men that were the same size as Gajeel stood leering at her. She took a step back cautiously, then another, and another; all the while watching as the men spread out in a wide semi-circle around her and moved closer.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here, boys," the man in the center said, his cerulean eyes gleaming oddly in the light while his brown hair clung to his face and neck from the pouring rain.

"Can we keep her?" the one on Lucy's right asked, chuckling and flexing his tattooed hands while he crouched down into an offensive stance.

"Another blonde?" the third asked, seemingly bored except for the smug smirk planted on his olive skin. "Can't we ever find something more… exotic?"

Lucy's fear at being surrounded turned into a blazing rage that spread through her like wildfire. She sneered at them, not willing to say a word lest it distract her for even a moment, then pivoted quickly and sprinted through the trees to find a better vantage point. She needed some place that would give her the upper hand while she was dealing with these men, especially since she didn't have anything that could be of use to defend herself. She vaulted over a fallen tree, almost losing her grip when her hand met with slick moss on its side, and as soon as her feet hit the ground she was running again. The sounds of three distinct sets of heavy feet behind her and the panting from their owners had a sadistic grin creeping across her face.

She slowed just a little when she came to a fork, and that was when two well-muscled arms wrapped tightly around her from behind, trapping her arms at her sides. "Well, well, well," the voice of the first man whispered hotly into Lucy's ear, "Looks like I get the first taste."

Taking her defense knowledge from Gajeel's training, Lucy crouched slightly and bent forward so it would be harder for him to lift her up. She yelled out in her anger and stomped her feet in what he must have assumed was a tantrum based on his laughter, but it gave her a chance to widen her stance. Lucy reached her hand behind her and roughly grabbed his genitals, squeezing them with everything she had, then moved the other hand back to hit them with her closed fist. He grunted and coughed, but his arms loosened enough for her to bring her right arm up and plant her elbow solidly in his gut. Without a second thought, her left elbow swung in a high arc over her as she twisted to the left and caught him right in the jaw. In one fluid motion, Lucy's right hand swung around with the momentum of her turn adding more power and punched him in the nose, then she brought her right leg up and kicked him between the legs as he fell to the ground. "Back the fuck up!" she shouted as the other two men rounded the bend and came to stand in front of her. "I'm warning you, I won't stop until you're dead."

The tattooed man shot forward, pulling a dagger from his belt, and Lucy ducked down while he swung a powerful left jab with the dagger at her, then she swept his feet from under him. His dagger fell to the ground, and she dove forward to make a grab for it only to be pulled roughly from the ground by her hair. She was face-to-face with the olive-skinned man, the smug smirk from before turning into what would have been a terrifying scowl if she hadn't known Gajeel. Lucy swung her legs forward and wrapped them tightly around his waist, then she used his momentary surprise to bring her hands up to his face and plunge her thumbs into his eye sockets, the sickening pop of both of the dark green orbs that had stared at her so intensely made her stomach churn, but she continued pushing until he fell to the ground in a heap, screaming in agony and covering the bloody gaping holes in his face.

A solid punch to the left side of her head—thankfully the opposite side from the cheek that Gajeel had broken earlier in the week—threw her into a tree with a loud crack. Lucy slumped onto the ground and struggled to catch her breath, but she was suddenly being pulled across the forest floor by her legs, her shirt riding up and random twigs and debris scratching at her stomach. She kicked as hard as she could with both legs, clawing at the ground and hoping to find purchase somewhere, and then she felt her pants shifting slightly and being pulled from her body. _He grabbed my pants!,_ she thought, quickly putting her hands on the waistband of her pants and loosening the tie so they fell off of her with his next forceful tug. Lucy scrambled to her feet to see it was the first man that had been dragging her, and she dropped to her back when she saw the faintest glint of a flying dagger that was aimed at her heart.

The man held onto her pants and stalked toward her, then pounced on her so his chest was pressed tightly to hers and his hips were pressing firmly against her lace-covered core. He grabbed both of her hands and tied her pants tightly around her wrists, then pulled back and tore her shirt open.

Lucy's fear wanted to overwhelm her, but she channeled her hatred for the sorry sack of shit on top of her. It took everything in her to push the anger from her face, and instead she looked up at him with hooded eyes and huskily whispered, "Wait. Let me please you…"

The man's eyes widened and a sadistic grin spread across his face. He leaned back down and roughly palmed her breasts while his mouth closed over hers. His tongue forced its way past her teeth and he felt her bound hands tentatively lifting to wrap around his neck, her fingers sifting through his hair and pressing him closer to her. Her legs slid slowly against his while their tongues battled, then wrapped around his waist. He knew she was strong, but he hadn't expected her to roll him onto his back while she straddled him.

Lucy pulled back from the putrid kiss, the man's mouth reeking of stale cigarettes and low-grade whiskey, and gave him a sultry smile then forced herself to moan when he grabbed her hips and ground her down onto his—_Wait, is he even hard?!,_ she screeched internally—erection. She lightly pulled his head back and started trailing kisses down onto his neck while he continued forcing her to grind against him. She choked back the vomit that threatened to spew from her when she tasted his sweat among the stubble on his neck, and then giggled when she lightly nipped his pulse and he gasped. "Oh, do you like that?" she asked.

"Fuck yeah," he groaned.

"Mmm," Lucy moaned, moving her lips over to the front of his throat. "Maybe I should do it again. May I, Master?"

"Holy shit," he rasped, sliding his hands from her hips down to roughly squeeze her backside. "Yeah, do what you want. Just don't stop."

Lucy giggled again, then lightly closed her lips over his Adam's apple and sucked. When he swallowed, and the excess cartilage was closer to his jaw, Lucy bared her teeth and clamped her jaw shut around his wind pipe, ignoring the blood that poured into her mouth. She shut her eyes to try and block out the pain of his hands while they beat against her back, then pulled harder on his hair so his neck was stretched out and twisted her head violently from side to side. With one last rough jerk, a portion of his throat was ripped out and sitting in her mouth while she sat up.

"What the fuck are you?!" The tattooed man screamed in fear when she turned to face him, spitting out the flesh and blood she'd torn from his leader's throat. He looked down at her stomach to pale even further when he saw the Phantom Lord symbol just beneath her bra. "I-I'm… I'm sorry!" he shrieked, his whole body frozen in terror while she stalked closer to him, "I didn't know!"

"What are you doing here?" Lucy asked with a sneer, picking up the dagger she'd been trying to get to before.

"We were just passing through the mountain range to get to Waas Forest," he choked out.

"Why Waas Forest?" she asked, clenching her hands tightly and using the dagger to shred the pants-turned-rope on her wrists.

"I d-don't know," the man cried once her hands were free.

Lucy lunged forward and stabbed the man in the gut, pinning him to the ground. "Don't lie to me," she seethed, turning the dagger while she glared down at him.

The man let out a garbled cry, coughing up a small amount of blood, then winced and said, "We were going… to ransack a town… out there."  
>"Is that <em>all<em>?" Lucy asked venomously, turning the dagger again and watching him cough up much more blood and nod fervently. "Does anyone know you're out here?"

The man shook his head no, then let out a bloodcurdling scream when she smiled sweetly down at him and ripped the dagger upwards from his navel to his sternum. Before he could let out one last breath, her hands moved to his head—one around the back and the other on his chin—and with a quick twist, his neck was snapped in two.

The faint cries of the man who had his eyes gouged out were carrying through the woods, and Lucy numbly walked over to his prone, shaking form after pulling the dagger from the tattooed man's chest. She knelt next to him and placed a hand gently on his shoulder, and when he flinched she shushed him softly. She rolled him onto his back and tipped his head up to expose his throat. "Do you want mercy?" Lucy asked softly.

"Please… Please kill me!" he cried out.

Lucy giggled and shook her head, even though he couldn't see her, and tsked. "Sorry, that's not gonna happen," she said innocently. She raised the dagger and stabbed his genitals, reveling in the agonized scream he let out. She quickly pulled out the dagger and moved down to his feet, and after slicing each of his Achilles tendons, she put the dagger in his hand and said, "If you make it out of here alive, remember me. Lucy of Phantom Lord. I _do not_ take kindly to threats. Your two friends are dead, and you're the lucky winner. Now get out of my sight!"

The olive skinned man gripped the dagger and rolled onto his hands and knees, and when he stood up and tried to walk a lancing pain shot up from his ankles, toppling him to the ground in an instant. He crawled through the forest, absolutely blind to everything around him, and within an hour he was attacked by a pack of ravenous wolves.

Lucy made her way slowly back up to the cave, not caring that her pants were gone or that her shirt was ripped open and baring her lace-covered breasts for all to see. The rain stopped just before she had attacked the first man, and Lucy didn't even consider trying to wash herself off. She could still taste the stale cigarettes and whiskey from his mouth, the sweat from his neck, and the blood from his throat. Her hands were covered in blood, along with her mouth, neck, and a few spots on her chest from when she'd torn the man's trachea out. Lucy no longer felt guilt for ending those men's lives, it was justified. Self-defense. At least one of them had made it apparent that he was going to rape her, and she was sure the other two would have gladly joined in on her afterwards. She was exhausted from the fight she'd gone through, the adrenaline finally having left her completely, and all she wanted to do was crawl into her bedroll and sleep.

Gajeel had been sitting by the fire for at least thirty minutes before he heard distant screams coming from the valley below his and Lucy's cave. It didn't really matter to him if some poor sucker got eaten by wild animals because they were too stupid to find a safe place to camp for the night, but the thought of the little blonde being out there while she was clearly upset over something made a small wave of fear crash through him. When he looked back on this moment in the future, he would call himself an idiot for thinking it was the fear of Master Jose's wrath if she got killed; however, the present Gajeel was sure it was only that and nothing more. Scream after bloodcurdling scream echoed through the valley as the rain came to a halt, and he moved to the entrance to the cave to try and find Lucy with his senses. She had been gone for almost an hour by then, and the screams had long since died down. He caught a small glimpse of a moving shadow as it slowly climbed the path to the cave, and he growled when he smelled an ungodly amount of blood on the entity as it moved closer.

Lucy looked up the path when she heard a growl, assuming it must be an animal that she would need to fend off, and only saw a pair of gleaming red eyes that stared at her in the darkness. "Gajeel," she whispered sadly, her knees buckling as the last of her strength left her. Lucy fell to the ground and almost put her head in her hands until she saw the still slick blood on them. Not wanting to show any weakness—because it was bad enough that he already saw her that way along with the rest of the guild—Lucy forced herself to her feet and carefully walked back up the path.

Gajeel heard his name whispered on the wind, but his eyes never left the shadow that moved closer. It fell to the ground for a minute, then slowly rose and continued its journey. It wasn't until he saw a head of long blonde hair that he realized who it was. Gajeel's eyes widened in shock when she walked up to him, his jaw dropping when he took in her appearance. She had been in her pajamas before she'd walked out of the cave, a simple t-shirt and pants, but now the pants were missing and her shirt was torn open, revealing black lace undergarments. Her hair was free-flowing instead of in a ponytail like usual, but there were portions that were matted with blood. And the blood… It surrounded her mouth and nose, down her chin and throat and even on her breasts; from her fingertips to her elbows; even some across her stomach and on her knees. There were faint scratches all across the front of her body, and little bits of mud were smeared here and there. "What the hell happened to you?" he asked.

"Nothing I didn't already handle," Lucy whispered, wiping away a single tear of relief when she saw him. She didn't know when or why it had happened, but seeing Gajeel had made her feel relaxed when she hadn't known she was tense. "Don't worry about me. They're dead." With that, she slowly walked past Gajeel and into the cave, dropping unceremoniously onto the ground once she got to the fire.

Gajeel frowned and walked in behind her, his sense of smell going haywire with the scents surrounding her—three different types of blood, all human, along with dirt and rain—and they all drowned out her own scent completely. He grabbed the first aid kit, and knelt down next to her, but when he started pulling out gauze she put a hand on his to stop him while she kept gazing into the fire.

"I'm not hurt, Gajeel," Lucy said softly. "This isn't my blood."

"You still didn't tell me what happened," Gajeel said while he put everything away and went to get some water and a washcloth. As he was walking back over to her, he saw her keys and whip sitting on her bedroll, and his eyes widened while he turned to look at her. "Come on," he said while he turned her to face him fully, "You tell me while I clean you up."

"I can manage," she said softly, avoiding his eyes while she tried to take the washcloth from him. Gajeel growled low in his throat and her gaze finally shot up to meet his. "I'm not a baby, Gajeel. I can take care of myself."

"Sure," Gajeel agreed, "But, you still need to tell me what happened out there, and why you walked out in the first place. So, I'll do this, and you talk." When Lucy didn't say anything, he added, "Let me help you, Bunny Girl."

Lucy nodded and sat down cross-legged in front of Gajeel, not even worrying about her lack of decent clothing. She kept her eyes trained on his hands while he started to clean her much smaller one, and slowly told him every little detail of what happened. Her walk in the rain, the men surrounding her, running away to gain the upper hand. How she was caught in a bear hug and disabled the first man, swept the legs out of the second when he tried to stab her, and gouged out the eyes of the third. How the first man started dragging her away after she was knocked into a tree, and then tied her hands up with her pants. How she had forced herself to seduce him and then tore out his throat with her teeth, then rounded on the second man and gutted him like a fish before snapping his neck. Finally, she told Gajeel about stabbing the third man's genitals and slicing his ankles open so he couldn't walk, then giving him the dagger while he crawled away and she walked back to the cave.

"Shit, Bunny Girl," Gajeel whispered, his eyebrows pushed together while he wiped the blood from her face, careful of her still healing nose and cheek. "I knew I should have gone after you. You could have been killed out there."

"But I wasn't," Lucy said when Gajeel moved down to her throat. She sat in silence when he carefully pulled her torn shirt down her shoulders, keeping her eyes on the ground. "I guess I should thank you for training me… If it wasn't for you teaching me all that stuff, I _would_ be dead."

"Don't worry about it," Gajeel muttered while he started wiping the blood from her chest. Once he got to the edge of her bra, Gajeel stopped and moved down to her stomach while she leaned back on her hands. There was a dark bruise on one side of her ribs, and when Gajeel touched it she hissed in pain. With a smirk he said, "Looks like you're a little worse for the wear, Bunny Girl."

"Well, it does hurt to breathe a little," she said sheepishly. She couldn't help the blush that dusted her cheeks when Gajeel moved the cloth covered hand over her stomach and down to the top of her panties. Needing something to do, Lucy grabbed the bottle of water nearest her and opened it, downing half the bottle in one go. Once she pulled it away, she sighed in relief.

"Good water, huh?" Gajeel asked with a knowing smirk.

Lucy frowned at him and said, "Best water I've ever tasted. Got rid of that guy's nasty ass mouth." She shuddered and took another sip of water. "Cigarettes and shitty whiskey in his mouth, sweat on his neck, and then blood. Fucking disgusting."

Gajeel growled but kept cleaning her, moving from her stomach to her feet and then working his way up her legs until he reached her underwear again. For the first time ever, Gajeel relished every single pass of his hands over a woman's supple skin. Usually, when it came down to getting himself a piece, he was in and out taking only as much time as necessary to get himself off and if he was feeling generous, he'd even get the girl off too. He'd never been a romantic in any sense of the word, and every woman he'd fucked had just been a means to an end. Lucy on the other hand had absolutely _no_ interest in him, and he was only attracted to her physically, but he still found himself admiring her and memorizing just how she felt under his hands.

Lucy set the water bottle down, and winced when she felt something sharp poking her breast. She looked down at her chest and sat up slightly so she could pull the cup away from herself with one hand while she used the other to figure out what was poking her. After only a moment, she found the offending little thing, and sighed when she pulled a twig out of her bra. "Seriously?" she groaned, "Fucking twigs?"

Gajeel snorted but kept his thoughts to himself while he started cleaning the small scrapes on her stomach and legs, and the larger ones on her knees, with alcohol.

"Hold on a second, okay?" Lucy huffed, pulling away and crawling across the cave to her bag. She grabbed a new pair of undergarments in a simple dark blue satin, then crawled back over to Gajeel and sat down in front of him with her legs slightly spread so he could kneel between them while he tended to her small wounds.

_Goddamnit, woman!,_ Gajeel mentally berated the blonde while she crawled away. His jaw had dropped to the floor when he saw her hips swaying so enticingly, and then her chest doing the same when she crawled back over to him. While her legs had been stretched out in front of her before she moved, she just _had_ to spread them around him so he could smell that oh-so-perfect scent of hers even clearer than before from the lace between her legs. Shaking his head and glancing at her face, Gajeel internally sighed when he saw that she had apparently not noticed his ogling, then got back to work on patching her up.

Lucy moved to put her hands behind her back to undo her bra—only after she looked at Gajeel and saw that he was firmly ignoring her while he took care of her legs—and hissed when her ribs protested the movement. Her arms dropped to her sides, while one hand pressed to her bruised ribs, and she took deep breaths while she willed the pain to leave her. Once it subsided, Lucy sighed and looked at Gajeel's face, taking in the way the fire danced off of his piercings. She cleared her throat, and when his crimson eyes lifted to meet hers, she blushed and nervously said, "Um… So I need your help… with something…"

Gajeel raised a pierced brow and looked at her expectantly.

"W-Well, you see…" Lucy stuttered, her blush deepening when he stared blankly at her. "I uh… Well…"

"Goddamnit, Bunny Girl," Gajeel groaned, "Spit it out already."

Lucy scowled at him, crossing her arms over her chest, and said, "I need help getting my bra off, jackass. My ribs hurt too much for me to reach the clasp."

Gajeel rolled his eyes and sighed, though he was internally grinning lecherously, and said, "And you had a hard time with that, _because…_"

"Because I've been fondled by enough perverts tonight," Lucy shot back defensively. When Gajeel's face hardened and he growled at her, she sighed and dropped her head. "Look, I'm a little freaked out right now, and I just need some help. I'm not trying to say you're planning on raping me like those guys were going to d—"

"What?!" Gajeel snarled. There were plenty of shitty things he'd done in his life, but _that_ was one line he refused to cross. Sure, he wasn't the most social person, or even halfway decent by most people's standards. He definitely wasn't going to win any awards for treating women exactly how they should be treated, but Metallicana had taught him (and he'd felt it with every fiber of his being even before then) that there were certain choices that were hers and hers alone; like who she allowed into her bed. The thought of a choice like that being taken from anyone sickened him immensely, but the thought of that happening to someone he knew—even someone like Lucy, whom he couldn't express the amount of hatred he held for—made him absolutely enraged.

Lucy's eyes went wide and she actually moved back just a little when she saw Gajeel's demeanor change. "I-I wasn't… I wasn't saying _you_ would do that…" she said hesitantly, cringing and shutting her eyes when she saw him moving towards her. Her eyes shot open in shock when she felt herself being pulled into his lap, her legs straddling his much like they had a few days prior, and his arms wrapping around her shoulders while his head nestled in the crook of her neck. He was still growling with every breath, and she could practically _taste_ the anger pouring off of him, but his embrace was nothing less than careful and protective. "I-I'm sorry," Lucy whispered against his bare chest, "I didn't mean to—"

Gajeel lightly squeezed her, making sure he wasn't hurting her ribs, and shook his head while he took another deep whiff of her scent. "Shh," he said, his anger slowly but surely dissipating while his senses were clogged with her sugar-and-almonds scent.

"But, I—" Lucy tried to say, then growled herself when his hand moved to wrap around her head and cover her mouth.

Gajeel took another deep breath, keeping his eyes closed, and shook his head again. "Please," he whispered, "Just gimme a minute…"

Lucy's eyebrows shot up in surprise at how he sounded—definitely angry, if his growls and the tension in him were any indication, but there was also a hint of sadness in his voice that caught her completely off-guard. She slowly nodded and felt his hand slide from her mouth back to its original position across her back. After another minute of him growling against her neck, Lucy carefully moved her arms from where they were pinned between her chest and his, and slid them around his waist. He tensed for a moment when she started to move, but once her hands were settled and drawing soothing circles on his back, Gajeel relaxed enough that Lucy was comfortable lying her head on his chest and letting her tears from the fear she had fought against earlier finally fall without a sound.

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><p><strong>Alright guys. That's the end of Chapter 2. I hope you all enjoyed it!<strong>

**Just a few little notes here:**

**-Lucy will eventually have all of the keys that she normally has; I plan on her getting Leo's key after the Phantom War is done. She didn't originally get his key until after the arc was over anyway (Episode 31-ish), so it's all good so far. You'll just have to wait and see what happens.**

**-I loved what you guys thought of their bickering last chapter. It's come to my attention (via my husband) that the things they said to each other are actually all things my brother and I have said while arguing for no reason… So, you're welcome… I guess? HAHA!**

**-Also, please remember this is before the Phantom War with Fairy Tail. I'm planning on taking this through that arc, and then we'll see how much it deviates from there. Lucy **_**will**_** eventually join Fairy Tail, but only after Phantom Lord is gone.**

**About this chapter:**

**-When Lucy sets her nose after Gajeel breaks it, that is apparently the way you're supposed to set your nose on your own. So, in the event any of you have to deal with that, try to remember what Lucy did lol.**

**-The fight scene with Lucy and the 3 men actually used a couple self-defense moves (Krav Maga and things like that) that I found online. So, if you're interested, you should totally get into that stuff. I'm not, but... yeah. *shrug***

**Little blurb: I hope that I'm doing a halfway decent job of conveying the _very_ confusing feelings Lucy and Gajeel have for each other. In essence, they can't stand each other as a rule (whether it's the way they talk, how they act, whatever); however, what makes them deviate from that is different for each of them. Gajeel goes based on what he was taught, and Lucy is based on her compassion (she's still a snarky bitch, but that doesn't make her heartless). Please let me know if I need to try and clarify that better in the story, or if there was anything you didn't really like (and definitely everything you loved lol).**

**So, Review, Follow, Favorite! I love you guys!~~GemNika.**


	3. Mountains and Mission

**A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you _all_ so much for the great reviews last chapter! Badass Lucy will be making many appearances in this story, and even in this chapter! (Note: this is rated M for a reason. If you don't like that, then _please_ turn back now... Seriously... You've been like SUPER WARNED by this point...)  
><strong>

**(I still don't own Fairy Tail.)**

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><p><em>Lucy's eyebrows shot up in surprise at how he sounded—definitely angry, if his growls and the tension in him were any indication, but there was also a hint of sadness in his voice that caught her completely off-guard. She slowly nodded and felt his hand slide from her mouth back to its original position across her back. After another minute of him growling against her neck, Lucy carefully moved her arms from where they were pinned between her chest and his, and slid them around his waist. He tensed for a moment when she started to move, but once her hands were settled and drawing soothing circles on his back, Gajeel relaxed enough that Lucy was comfortable lying her head on his chest and letting her tears from the fear she had fought against earlier finally fall without a sound.<em>

~.~

Gajeel was still taking deep breaths to calm himself down, but he had never expected to find himself in this position. Lucy had already sat on his lap like this one other time, except she was helping to patch him up after he attacked a mountain and then her, but at least that time they had both been fully clothed. Aside from the fact that he'd intentionally gone out of his way to comfort her and try to relax himself, she was holding onto him like a lifeline and crying. He smelled her fear as it crept up, but it was only after a wave of calm had washed over her when her arms wrapped around him. As far as he could tell, she was thinking about earlier and felt comfortable enough with him to let it out. What he still couldn't understand was how he hadn't noticed all the signs that pointed to what those bastards were planning: surrounding her, tearing off her pants, tying her up and pinning her to the ground, ripping her shirt open. As soon as Lucy had forced herself to seduce that guy, he'd jumped on the invitation; she'd called him 'Master' simply because it would make him feel more in control, and the guy _liked_ it. She had been refused a choice when it came to who touched her, who she kissed and kissed her back, because it was the only way for her to overpower the man and make him suffer. _I should have gone after her…_

Lucy sniffled and pulled a hand back from Gajeel's waist to wipe her eyes, then wiped away the tears that had cascaded down his chest and stomach during her breakdown. When she tried to pull away, Gajeel's grip on her tightened slightly, so she leaned her forehead against his chest and whispered, "Sorry. You probably don't want me crying all over you."

"It's fine, Bunny," Gajeel said softly. "Do what you need to."

Lucy's brow furrowed in confusion, and she didn't know what to do when she felt Gajeel take a shaky breath and pull away from her shoulder only to run a hand through her hair. "Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked softly.

"Because you just went through some serious shit," Gajeel answered with a frown. "I'm a lot of things, but what they were gonna do doesn't fly with me. Doesn't matter how much I hate you, that's _your_ choice to make… not anyone else's. I know you can take care of yourself, but I still should have been there…"

Lucy's head shot up to look into Gajeel's saddened ruby eyes. "Gajeel," she whispered, her body and mind unable to even begin to comprehend what was happening. The tenderness he was showing her made her feel safe like she never had before, and the fact that it was coming from _this_ Slayer was not only unexpected, but humbling. It was so at odds with what she had come to expect from him, but all she could really figure out was that he wasn't _all_ bad. There was a line in Gajeel that he would never cross, some sense of honor or a code that he held within himself that clearly set out strict boundaries on very specific topics.

"Look," Gajeel said while he watched her staring at him, "Me acting this way isn't gonna happen often, so just take it for what it is. If you hadn't already killed those guys, I'd be out there doing it myself. Regardless of that though, I'm here for you alright?"

Lucy slowly nodded, feeling fresh tears cascading down her cheeks. She quickly looked away from him towards the barely burning fire and said, "Guess Master was right… I _am_ weak. I mean, I haven't cried in months, and yet… Here I am. Third time in a week."

Gajeel frowned and moved his hand from her hair to her chin while he made her look back at him. Once her eyes met his again, he brushed a thumb lightly over her cheek to wipe away her tears and shook his head. "You're not weak. You've been taking everything I've thrown at you all week like a fucking champ. Hell, I even attacked you without holding back and you only came out with a couple broken bones. Plus, tonight… A couple scrapes and a bruised rib while you took three guys down with your bare hands—no magic whatsoever." He moved his other hand up to wipe away the tears on the other side of her face, then added, "As for crying? Well, I don't know about the other two times, but right now is a good a time as any for that shit. I'm not faulting you for it, and I'm not planning on telling him about what happened unless he finds out from someone else. You've had a long, shitty night so I think a few tears are perfectly fine."

Lucy sniffled again and gave Gajeel a watery smile. "Guess you're not as big of a dick as I thought."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, Bunny Girl," Gajeel said with a smirk, "I'm a _huge_ dick. I'm just willing to put that shit to the side to help you out right now. As soon as you're feeling better, I'll go right back to wanting to skin you alive."

Lucy couldn't help but laugh. It was ridiculous, absolutely ludicrous that Gajeel threatening her would make her laugh and feel better, but that's just what it did. Once her fit of giggles subsided, which Gajeel had lightly chuckled along with her while his arms wrapped back around her shoulders, Lucy sighed and leaned her head against his chest again. "So, I still need your help," she said with a smirk.

"You're a real pain in my ass, Bunny Girl," Gajeel retorted, though there wasn't nearly as much malice as usual. He leaned forward and grabbed the undergarments she had brought over while his other hand snapped the clasp open on her back with a quick twist of his fingers.

Lucy sighed in relief as soon as her bra came loose, and pulled her chest away from Gajeel's while she pulled the straps down her shoulders, immediately throwing the defiled black lace into the fire. "Hand me that washcloth?" she asked. As soon as it hit her hand, Lucy wiped the rest of the blood off of her breasts that had seeped into the lace of her bra, then found a few leaves and another twig that had stuck to her skin and wiped them away. She pulled the satin bra on and felt Gajeel's large hands quickly do up the clasp at just the right setting before he fixed the straps on her shoulders. "Thanks."

"No problem," Gajeel muttered. "Usually I'm just taking them off, so I guess it's a nice change of pace."

Lucy smacked Gajeel's side lightly and said, "I guess I should finish getting bandaged up. You said we're leaving early tomorrow."

Gajeel carefully adjusted himself so he was sitting cross-legged on the ground with Lucy still in his lap, then reached over to the first aid kit and grabbed the gauze so he could wrap her ribs.

"I can sit on the floor, you know," Lucy said, though she made no move to change her position or pull away.

"Nah," Gajeel muttered, "I'm not letting you off my lap."

"Don't be a perv," Lucy ground out. She carefully leaned back with her hands on the floor of the cave so Gajeel could easily access her ribs, and blushed when she realized that she was literally spread out for him with her barely-there lace panties doing a whole lot of nothing to protect her womanhood.

"I'm not," Gajeel said with a toothy grin, "I'm just not letting you get up yet."

Lucy rolled her eyes and sighed. She studied Gajeel's face while he was bandaging her ribs, noticing that he was entirely focused on the gauze he wrapped around her torso and not the breasts right above his hands when he finally stopped. Once he was done, Lucy carefully pulled one leg back while she held onto his shoulders for stability and turned around in his lap. "Well, since you're not letting me get up, I guess I'll just have to change my underwear from here."

"Pretty much," Gajeel answered with a snort. "Not sure how you're gonna manage though."

"I'll figure it out," Lucy said with a smirk while she glanced back at him. "Besides, that nasty bastard was grinding all over my underwear. I _really_ don't feel like wearing these." When Gajeel growled, she placed a hand gently on his arm and said, "If it's any consolation, I couldn't even tell if he _had_ a dick."

Gajeel couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter when Lucy's free hand lifted into the air with her pinky extended and her thumb pointing at the tip of it to show just how small she thought the guy was. When she laughed along with him and leaned forward to grab the fresh pair of underwear, he leaned back on his hands and said, "How are you planning on getting them off?"

"Hmm," Lucy hummed, "Any suggestions that aren't perverted?"

Gajeel leaned forward slightly and held his hand out in front of her with one finger shifted into the iron blade she had already seen the day they met. When Lucy giggled and nodded, his hand ghosted down her waist and hovered over her hip before sliding lightly along the band of her panties to the center of her lower back.

"What are you doing back there?" Lucy asked, arching her back and turning to look behind her.

Gajeel raised a pierced eyebrow at her, then slid the blade under the fabric at an angle where the lace that travelled between her rounded cheeks met the band. One flick of his finger had the skimpy material falling limply in three separate pieces so she could just pull it off from the front.

"Huh," Lucy stated with an approving nod. She pulled the lacy underwear off and asked, "Would you like to do honors?"

Gajeel chuckled and took the shredded panties from her hand, then tossed them in the fire to join the previously burned bra. He watched with amusement as Lucy pulled her blue satin boyshorts over her feet and up to her mid-thigh before huffing angrily.

Lucy glared at Gajeel's legs then threw her hands in the air. "I give up," she said with a sigh. "Look at my snatch and you're a dead man, you hear me?"

Gajeel's eyes widened when Lucy leaned back against his chest, then lifted her hips into the air while she pulled her panties up the rest of the way. Thankfully, he had amazing peripheral vision, and caught the barest glimpse of a small patch of golden curls over her sex while he kept his eyes locked on hers. "All set there?" he asked when she sat down only to turn around and straddle him again.

"Yeah, but you're blushing," Lucy said with a smirk that turned into a grin when Gajeel's eyes narrowed dangerously at her. "So, Gajeel. You've got a busty blonde sitting in your lap in lingerie, what do you suggest we do?"

Gajeel raised an eyebrow and shook his head. _Damn, any other time and I'd have her on her back already. I can't do that to her after what happened tonight,_ he thought. "You still never told me why you bolted earlier."

Lucy's smile fell in an instant and she sighed. "It's stupid."

"I'll be the judge of that," Gajeel pressed. "C'mon, what got you all worked up that you had to walk out in the rain?"

Lucy looked down at her hands while she twiddled her fingers together, and whispered, "You asked me why I wanted you to look at the sky. Well, I wanted you to see a different side of my magic that wasn't based on my power or summoning my spirits, but based on the origin of my magic."

"Right?" Gajeel pressed.

Lucy glanced up at him to see a single raised eyebrow and rolled her eyes. "It's really dumb, can't we just drop it?"

"No."

Lucy glared at him, and after a silent minute she gave up. "I wanted to see if I'd finally met someone that could understand my magic the way I do. I've always wondered if I was a little crazy for seeing the stars that way, since anyone else I talk to about it acts like I am. What you said wasn't exactly what I saw at first, but it made sense… And you at least took the time to look instead of brushing me off like everyone else does."

"What made you ask me in the first place though? Why would you care if I saw your magic that way?"

Lucy smiled softly and looked up into Gajeel's eyes that were filled with confusion, and said, "When I meditate the way I was that morning, I pull every last bit of my magic from my body and focus it on those orbs. It's kind of a rush to feel it all settling back in when I stop, so you weren't entirely wrong that morning when you asked if I was high." She paused and flicked Gajeel in the forehead when he started scowling. "My feeling that way lowered my inhibitions enough to ask you to look—I probably wouldn't have done it otherwise because I'd have been too afraid you would think the same thing as everyone else. You saw the stars in a way that I'd never imagined, but you _saw_ them. They were more than little lights to you that morning, and… I guess… Hearing you say that you saw something more made me feel like I wasn't alone for once."

Gajeel's eyes widened marginally while he looked at her. Being alone was something he knew a lot about, and he had apparently made her feel less like he always did just by looking up at the sky with her while she was riding a magic-high. She admitted that she wouldn't have asked him to look at the sky with her for fear of rejection, and damn if that didn't strike a chord deep down inside of him; Gajeel kept to himself because he didn't want to let anyone in again like he had with Metallicana—he never wanted to hurt like that another day in his life.

When Gajeel was silent for a few minutes, she said, "See? I told you it was dumb."

Gajeel frowned and shook his head, then said, "It's not dumb. I saw what I saw because of how I was raised. Metallicana used to ask me shit like that all the time. That's why I got pissed and ran off—one of my first memories after he found me was looking at the sky at sunrise."

It was Lucy's turn to frown when she looked up at Gajeel's face. "I'm sorry about that, you know. I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't know," Gajeel said with a half-shrug. "I'm serious though, it's not stupid. And as for earlier, I think it _is_ important."

"Huh?

Gajeel smirked and placed a hand over hers, slowly running his thumb over her knuckles, and said, "You told me not to worry about what you said that morning, that it wasn't important." When Lucy nodded, he continued. "It _is_ important. Based on how uncomfortable you got just trying to tell me about it, clearly it's something that's really close to you. And I can see why."

'Y-You do?" Lucy asked, looking down at their hands while his thumb kept sweeping lightly over hers.

"Yeah. It's like me and Metallicana," Gajeel said softly, "It's a touchy subject, and almost anything can remind you of it. No one really gets it, and you don't want to try to make them understand."

Lucy frowned and pulled her hands out of Gajeel's grip, and when he looked up to meet her eyes, she couldn't help herself. She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her chest tightly to his while she hugged him. After him sitting completely still for at least a minute, Lucy's hands slid down his arms and carefully grabbed his wrists. She placed them on her waist before sliding back up his arms to her original position.

Gajeel's mind had shut down when she wrapped herself around him like that—her chest pressing against his, how soft her skin was, and the fact that she was hugging him in the first place—and had only just started back up when she grabbed his wrists. Of course, once his hands were on her tiny waist, he couldn't help but let his fingers dance across her bare skin while he wrapped his arms around her in return. "Bunny Girl," Gajeel whispered against her hair.

"Hm," Lucy hummed in response, tightening her hold on him for a moment.

"Why are you hugging me?"

"Same reason you're hugging me," Lucy said with a smile.

"I'm doing it because you are," Gajeel retorted.

"Same here."

"That doesn't even make sense."

Lucy giggled and pulled her head back to grin mischievously at him. "Neither does you and me hugging," she said matter-of-factly, "Especially since you're planning on skinning me alive… and I'm planning on ripping your dick off while you sleep."

"You stay the fuck away from my dick, Bunny Girl," Gajeel growled.

"You're the one that wouldn't let me get off of your lap," Lucy shot back, "Kinda hard to stay away from your dick if I'm sitting on it."

"So, you're gonna rip my dick off because you're still on my lap?" Gajeel asked incredulously.

Lucy laughed, throwing her head back and really letting her mirth show, and when she looked back at Gajeel she shook her head. She pulled one hand away from his shoulder and lightly tapped his nose while she said, "Nope. I've been plotting the demise of your genitals for months now. This is just the first time I've been close enough to get the job done."

"Don't poke me, Bunny Girl," Gajeel growled. "And if that's the case, then why didn't you do it sooner?"

Lucy tapped his nose again and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "I had to lull you into a false sense of security. Besides, last time I was in your lap, I had just gotten the shit kicked out of me."

Gajeel shuddered when her breath danced across his ear and down his neck. "False sense of security, my ass," he grumbled. Noticing her finger still lightly tapping his nose, Gajeel tipped his head back and bit down on that annoying little thing, causing Lucy to jump back with a squeak.

Lucy tried to pull her finger out of Gajeel's mouth, meeting his annoyed glare with one of her own. "Let go," she said firmly, "Your teeth are far too sharp to do this."

Gajeel grinned darkly and bit down just a little harder for a split second, watching her gasp. He nearly groaned when the scent of her arousal filtered into his nostrils, and when he tried to lick his lips his tongue flicked across her finger instead. He tasted her on his tongue, and fuck if just that small taste of her finger wasn't the most delicious thing he'd ever had. He watched Lucy's eyes drop to his mouth, drawing her lower lip between her own teeth and nibbling lightly on it, and a light blush dusting across her cheeks. Gajeel's lips closed around her finger, and he sucked the slender digit fully into his mouth before his tongue dragged from one end to the other in a slow stroke that let her feel the barbell that pierced it, while he slowly pulled his head away. Once the tip of Lucy's finger was lightly resting against his lower lip, Gajeel smirked at the dazed expression on her face and how much stronger her arousal was becoming. "Need something, Bunny?" Gajeel asked, his voice coming out lower more gravelly than usual.

Lucy nodded absently while she stared at Gajeel's lips. She was hardly more than a few inches from that mouth, her finger still resting against it while she tried to get her brain to function again. The way his tongue had moved over her finger had her lighting up like a Christmas tree, and then the small iron ball that created a little bit of friction in the center of his tongue made her brain stutter. Gajeel's hands slid down to her hips, the light contact and calluses on his hands making her shiver and gasp. One corner of Gajeel's mouth lifted in his usual smirk, and Lucy's finger slid carefully down his chin to glide effortlessly over the piercings that adorned it.

"What do you need?" Gajeel asked. He was more than willing to taste more of her, feel every inch of the body that she had been tempting him with since they met, and hear her scream out his name in ecstasy, but the only problem was that he couldn't bring himself to make the first move after the way her night had gone. It was Lucy's choice, and that had been taken away from her once already (luckily, the bastard didn't get a chance to take away too much); Gajeel would wait for her to decide what she wanted.

Lucy's eyes flickered up from his lips to look deeply into the heated crimson gaze that was practically burning with unbridled passion. She glanced down at his lips again, then back to his eyes, completely unsure of what she was even considering. He seemed to see her hesitation and uncertainty, but he stayed completely still while she figured out what it was she wanted. _He's… He's letting me choose?_ She realized that had to be the case and felt her lips turning into a sultry smile that made his eyes darken with lust while she closed the distance between them. Once her lips touched his, all of the physical attraction the pair had been fighting burst like a dam, sending heat flaring in her veins and making Lucy's body ripple with pleasure.

Gajeel tightened his grip on her hips and pulled her flush against his chest, groaning when her hands sifted through his hair as his lips moved more insistently against hers. Those plump little lips of hers that he'd secretly fantasized about were molded perfectly to his, and he could already feel his body reacting to her. Just like everything else he did, Gajeel took control and lightly nipped at her lips, but he wasn't expecting her to moan and grind herself against him. He let her bottom lip go and saw her smirking at him while she repeated the action, making him groan. Her grip on his hair tightened, her barely clothed body sliding against his, and she dove forward as soon as his mouth opened on another groan and pushed her tongue roughly into his mouth to glide along his. He was able to taste the cigarettes, whiskey, and blood from the man that had tried to hurt her, and Gajeel growled while he took control again and made sure to smother every other taste on her until only his remained.

Lucy had never been kissed like this before, but some part of her knew that kissing Gajeel would be exactly like this. He was rough, dominant, and knew just what to do to melt her into a pathetic little puddle with just his tongue circling hers. The way he moved was almost possessive, and it seemed as though he wouldn't be satisfied until the faint traces of that man were gone for good. When he started to pull back, Lucy moaned and dove back into his mouth to tease that delicious piercing. His pointed teeth lightly clamped down on her tongue, another growl rumbling through his chest, and the corners of Lucy's mouth turned up while she moaned and bucked her hips against him. She pulled her tongue back slowly, letting herself memorize just how his teeth felt as they dragged along the lithe muscle while she withdrew it. Her lips closed once her tongue was alone in her own mouth, and she carefully sucked his lower lip into her mouth before leaning in and kissing him softly.

"Fuck, Bunny Girl," Gajeel whispered when her forehead pressed against his. He kept his eyes closed and smirked when her nose lightly dragged over the piercings in the bridge of his nose.

"I could say the same to you," Lucy whispered back, lightly dragging her nails over his scalp.

"Never thought it'd be like that."

Lucy pulled away slightly to look into his eyes, wondering just what he was talking about. "What do you mean?"

"Out of all the times I imagined what it'd be like to kiss you, I definitely didn't think it'd be that damn good." Gajeel's eyes cracked open to see her head tilted to the side. "You're hot as fuck, I'm not blind."

Lucy raised an eyebrow and said, "I thought my tits did absolutely nothing for you."

"I lied," Gajeel said, drawing out his words lazily while her hands kept sifting through his hair. "They do all the right things, just like the rest of your body. If it wasn't for that mouth of yours, I'd have banged your brains out by now."

Lucy snorted and rolled her eyes. "Riiiight," she said sarcastically, "Because you're a bucket of fucking sunshine. Yeah, I would _totally_ have let you get into my pants…"

"Seemed like you were itching for just that with how you were movin'," Gajeel shot back.

"Hey, if your mouth is preoccupied, I can actually _enjoy_ all those muscles you're sporting," Lucy said with a glare.

"Preoccupied, huh?" Gajeel asked with a salacious grin.

"Yes," Lucy huffed, her glare never wavering. "God, I fucking hate you…"

Gajeel slid a hand up to the back of her neck and brought her lips to his again, smirking when she instantly melted into him and lightly moaned. "Trust me, Bunny," Gajeel said softly, nipping at her lips again, "The feeling's mutual."

"Then what are we doing?" Lucy asked, tilting her head back when his tongue slid down her neck and his teeth nibbled on her collar bone.

"Venting our frustrations?" Gajeel asked with a chuckle.

"Mmm," Lucy hummed when his tongue dragged over a sensitive spot on her neck. "While that sounds wonderful, it's probably not the best idea."

"Why?" Gajeel asked, kissing a trail to the other side of her neck.

"Because there's nothing more than physical attraction between us," Lucy said, her hands tightening in his hair and gently pulling him away. "I'm looking for more than that."

"Then why'd you kiss me?" Gajeel asked with a smug smirk.

"Because I let my hormones get the best of me," Lucy answered with a sigh.

After a moment, Gajeel rolled his eyes. "You're a pain in my ass, you know that?"

Lucy giggled and nodded. "It's my job. Maybe even my calling in life!"

Gajeel laid his head down on her shoulder, waiting for his body to chill the hell out since she wasn't going to go any further and he wasn't going to push the subject. "Do me a favor, will ya?"

"Shoot," Lucy said, watching him shiver slightly when her nails dragged over his scalp again.

"If you decide differently, lemme know," Gajeel said with a smirk. "I'd be more than happy to fuck you with no strings, especially since I'm positive that, as soon as we're done, you'll make me wanna kill you."

Lucy laughed, dropping her head to his shoulder and shaking her head. "Sure. If I change my mind, you'll be the first to know so I can get a proper fuck."

"Damn right," Gajeel grunted, laughing along with her at the absurdity of the night.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Gajeel?" Lucy asked when they finally left the mountain range and started walking down a winding dirt path that led to a small town a few hours away.<p>

"Hm?"

"We're getting a room tonight, right?" Lucy asked hopefully. "I could really go for a hot shower and a bed."

"Yeah. We're stopping in town to relax for the rest of the day. We made good time, so we can take a break and head out to the forest tomorrow," Gajeel said. It had only taken them the whole day previous to get from the cave he had bandaged her up in after she was attacked to the end of the mountain range. In retrospect, Gajeel realized why it had taken so much less time: he'd been making her run as a part of her training almost every single day, and when she pissed him off he would end up chasing after her to try and beat her to a bloody pulp.

When they were halfway to the town, Lucy saw a large hill off to the left with lush green grass and small patches of the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen in her life. There weren't any trees in sight, nor were there any farms or any form of civilization. A wide grin spread across her face and she quickly grabbed Gajeel's forearm and pulled him to a stop.

"Oi, what the hell?!"

"Gajeel!" Lucy shouted, her voice filled with glee while she turned to look up at him. "Look!"

Gajeel turned his head to look at what she was pointing at, then said, "It's a hill, Bunny Girl. Are you high again?"

Lucy frowned and punched him in the ribs, jumping back quickly when he tried to backhand her. "No, I'm not high! _You_ said that when we found a clearing out of the mountains, we could spar with magic." She rushed back over to him and wrapped her hands tightly around his muscular arm, placing her chin on his bicep and pouting to the best of her abilities, "Please, please, please?"

"Get the fuck off of me, you psycho!" Gajeel yelled, using his other hand to press against her face to try and pry her off of his arm.

"You promised!" Lucy said petulantly, gripping his arm tighter.

"No, I didn't!"

"Yes, you did!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Goddamnit, woman!" Gajeel yelled, "You wanna fight me so fucking bad, fine!" Gajeel pulled his fist back and slammed it into the side of Lucy's head, silently thankful that her broken bones had healed completely over the past week. The petite blonde grunted in pain and flew through the air and landed in a heap on the hill. He shifted his skin into metallic scales as he ran at her, putting on a burst of speed as soon as Lucy was on her feet and tackling her to the ground.

"What the fuck?!" Lucy screeched when her legs wrapped around Gajeel's waist and his hands roughly pinned hers to the ground.

"You said you wanted to use magic, Bunny Girl," Gajeel whispered with a sadistic grin. "So use it. I'll only use my scales since I don't want you beaten too badly when we get to town."

"I can't reach my keys, ass!" Lucy yelled, struggling in his grip and wincing when she realized just how unrelenting his metallic scales were.

"Figure it out. If I was any other enemy, I wouldn't back off so it was a fair fight. What would you do if I was an enemy?" Gajeel asked, his grin widening while she wriggled beneath him.

"I'd flip you so I could reach them," Lucy answered angrily, tightening her grip on his waist with her legs and attempting to twist her body the way he taught her. "It won't work with you. I can't move you."

"So try something else."

"Ugh, why did I have to wear a skirt today?" Lucy groaned. She thought over her limited mobility and a light bulb went off in her head. _Gymnastics, don't fail me now!_

"Because you like letting me see that sweet ass of yours," Gajeel taunted.

"Yeah, well seeing it is all you'll get to do, needle-dick," Lucy ground out. She lifted her legs from his waist and pulled her knees tightly to her body, then set her feet on his shoulders and pushed with everything she had. And he didn't budge an inch.

"My, my," Gajeel whispered, "So flexible. The only problem with this position is that you're relying only on the strength in your legs to push me off of you. Try again."

Lucy groaned and rolled her eyes, clenching her fists and saying, "My hands are going numb, Gajeel."

"Better work fast then."

Lucy frowned and moved her legs higher, hooking her knees over his shoulders and squeezing her thighs tightly around his neck. Nothing happened.

Gajeel chuckled and shook his head. "If I bear down on you right now, I can break your neck. It's a good headlock in any other position if your opponent isn't made of metal. But, thanks for giving me a panty-shot."

"Then what the fuck am I supposed to do?!" Lucy screeched, pulling her legs back down and setting her feet on the ground with Gajeel still settled between them. "I could try and wait for a distraction, but there's nothing that's going to distract _you_, you single-minded asshat. I could wait for you to move in closer, but that would just give me less maneuverability; and since you're bigger and stronger, that's _really_ not something that will work out too well for me."

"You'll have to figure it out, Bunny Girl. I'm not always gonna be there to teach you. Use your head," Gajeel said firmly.

Lucy sighed. "Well, I can't kick you in the nuts, since they're metal and they won't hurt—also, last time I tried you almost broke my foot. I can't headbutt you, because the last time I tried _that_ I nearly passed out—and that was when you _didn't_ have scales! I can't—" Lucy paused, then looked up into the gleaming red eyes above her. "How about a trade?" she asked.

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her and said, "Trade?"

"I give you something, and you let me go. What do you say?" Lucy grinned up at him, biting her lip and watching as his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"What do you have to trade with?"

Lucy wrapped her legs around Gajeel's waist, locking her ankles, then clenched her thighs and whispered, "Come closer, and I'll tell you."

"Tell me before I come closer. I don't fucking trust you," Gajeel said.

"How about…" Lucy said with a smirk, "A kiss?"

"How's that a fair trade?"

"Well, I'm curious to see what it's like with your scales, and I damn well know you want to kiss me again," Lucy reasoned.

"Sure, but how do I know I'm not getting the short end of the deal?"

"You'll just have to wait and see," Lucy said, biting her lip again.

Gajeel growled and loosened his grip on her hands, pushing himself off of her and walking back towards the dirt path. "Come on, Bunny Girl," he called back as he listened to her slowly getting up off of the grass, "We still need to get to town."

Lucy frowned and ran over to Gajeel, then fell into step beside him while she looked up at his scowling face. "What the hell?" she asked.

"What?" Gajeel asked gruffly.

"I offered to kiss you, and you walked off."

Gajeel shook his head, growling again. "Fuck, I need something to punch right now," he grumbled. Sadly, the only thing around for miles was the blonde next to him, and he couldn't hit her right then otherwise she wouldn't be alive afterwards.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked.

"You."

"Me?!" Lucy yelled incredulously, "What do you mean, me?!"

Gajeel let out a snarl and rounded on her, towering over the petite woman. "Look, I'm fine with acting like that night never happened, especially since all I want out of you is a good lay," he seethed, "But that doesn't mean I need your skanky ass holding that shit up in my fucking face like a goddamn bone just to watch me beg. You don't want just physical, and that's what I want. I get it. So stop acting like you're fine with it when the moment suits you. It's fucked up, and I'm not into fucking games."

"But—"

"No!" Gajeel yelled, "You either want to or you don't, there's really no gray area here. I mean, what is your fucking problem—"

"Gajeel, shut up," Lucy said firmly.

"—Can't even give a guy a goddamn break—"

"Gajeel! Shut up!" Lucy shouted.

"—Get me all wound up and watch me suffer. You're fucking twiste—"

Lucy pulled out her whip and lashed it across his face, silently thankful that his scales were still activated. When Gajeel focused on her again instead of his ranting, ready to knock her out for hitting him, Lucy rolled her eyes and huffed. "You're an absolute idiot, do you know that?"

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing, let's just get to the town so we can get a room and actually bathe. You smell like a fucking dung heap," Lucy said, turning on her heel and stalking towards the town.

Gajeel growled and shook his head, running his hands through his hair and wondering if he should rip it out to get rid of the pounding headache the woman walking in front of him was giving him. After a moment, he took a deep breath and stalked after her.

* * *

><p>Lucy shot up from her bedroll with a scream ripping from her throat and tears pouring down her cheeks. "Get off of me!" she yelled, swiping her hands violently down her arms and chest before she came back to reality completely. She looked around the mostly dark clearing, searching for any sort of menacing presence and clambered out of the cumbersome folds of fabric. When she heard an odd rustling noise, and a low growl, Lucy whimpered and reached for her keys only to find them missing. Lucy dove for her bedroll again trying to find her keys so she could defend herself from her nightmare and anything that might try to come after her.<p>

"What the fuck, Bunny Girl?! You'd better be fucking dying out here!" Gajeel shouted as he stepped out of the tent. He looked around and didn't see her anywhere, then took a deep whiff of the air and smelled her tears again.

"G-Gajeel?" Lucy whispered, shaking uncontrollably while she clutched her keys to her chest and looked at the gleaming red eyes in the dark.

"Who the fuck else?!" he shouted, throwing his arms out to the sides.

Lucy hiccupped, fear radiating through her as memories of her dream came rushing back and melding with what had really happened during that first week of their mission. She wiped furiously at her eyes, trying to will away her tears, and only fought harder when she heard Gajeel click his tongue on the roof of his mouth. Lucy sniffled and forced herself to crawl back into her bedroll even though she was sure she wouldn't sleep the rest of the night. "S-Sorry," she whispered while she looked away from him, "Bad dream… I'll… I'll keep it down."

Gajeel glared at her for another second before turning around and walking back into the tent. "Crazy bitch," he muttered. He listened to Lucy's erratic heartbeat, the way her breathing was still trembling instead of calming down after a few minutes, and smelled the fear, tears, and shame wafting off of her and seeping into the tent. Gajeel's nose crinkled when her sugar-and-almond scent was clouded with those emotions, and after another fifteen minutes of those same noises and smells he stalked out of the tent and ripped her out of her bedroll.

"What the hell?!" Lucy screeched, thrashing her legs around. "Let me go!"

Gajeel threw Lucy into the tent, hearing the faint jingle of her keys that were still clutched tightly in her hand, then walked in and sat down to glare at her. "Listen, and listen good. You tell _no one_ about this. You make a single fucking peep and it gets back to me, I'll kill you with or without Master's permission."

"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked while she rubbed the sore spot on her rear from where she had hit the ground.

"You're sleeping in here."

"Where are you sleeping?"

"In here."

"Oh no!" Lucy shouted, jumping to her feet. "I'm not letting you anywhere near me while I'm sleeping! I don't need you rubbing your dick all over my ass in your sleep!"

Gajeel rolled his eyes and stood up, catching her around the waist when she tried to bolt. He pulled her tightly to his chest, clamping a hand over her mouth, and said, "Look, I really don't feel like you calling attention to where we're camping by screaming your fucking face off. Also, I can smell your fear—and if _I _can smell it, then so can any number of predators in the woods." He paused and took a deep breath, unconsciously leaning just a little closer when he continued, "Aside from not killing you, I've also been ordered to not let you_ get_ killed—no matter how much I'd fucking love for that to happen so I don't have to listen to your bullshit anymore. So, you're sleeping in here."

Lucy glared up at Gajeel, not willing to let herself even think about how close they were currently standing, or how they were supposed to manage sleeping in a single person tent that Gajeel himself was just able to manage fitting in comfortably.

"Don't scream," Gajeel warned. When Lucy nodded, he slowly pulled his hand away from her mouth.

"How do you suggest we sleep in here?" she asked quietly, wiping away her tears again.

With a devious smirk that looked much more malicious in the dim moonlight that barely penetrated the tent, Gajeel said, "That's why I said you won't tell anyone about this or I'll kill you. Trust me, I don't like it any more than you do. We'll just suck it up and deal with it for the time being."

Lucy was still confused, since he hadn't told her what he was talking about, and felt him slowly push her towards the bedroll. She took a hesitant step, then carefully sat down before she looked up at him expectantly. "Now what?"

Gajeel rolled his eyes, walked out of the tent and grabbed her bag from by the fire, then came back in and threw it next to his in the corner. He sat down next to Lucy and glared at her. "Not a soul."

Lucy huffed and put up her pinky finger. When Gajeel stared at her like she was crazy, Lucy boldly grabbed his hand with both of hers, balled his fingers up in a fist and extended just his pinky, then wrapped her pinky around it. "Pinky promise," she said with a giggle, "I won't tell a soul about whatever is about to happen with our sleeping arrangements."

Gajeel looked down at her slender pinky wrapped around his, with her other hand still holding his other fingers down, then back up to her. Her grip on his pinky tightened, and he watched Lucy's other hand carefully move over to bend his pinky around hers. "The fuck are you doing?" he asked.

Lucy rolled her eyes and sighed. "It's a little childish, but it's a promise."

"Looks pretty childish," Gajeel muttered while he stared at their hands.

"Are you serious?" Lucy asked. "You've never made a pinky promise?"

"No. Do I look like a—you know what? Nevermind. No."

Lucy smiled while she let their hands drop, their pinkies still intertwined, and said reminiscently, "When I was younger, any time I would make a promise to my mom that was extremely important, we would make a pinky promise. It's like a little kid's version of a handshake."

"And you're making me do this because…?" Gajeel asked.

"Because you're a pain in my ass, and I was trying to be nice to you," Lucy grumbled, finally letting go of Gajeel's hand. "Bastard…"

Gajeel had no response for what she'd said, so he just let it go. This was going to be bad enough without making shit more awkward by swapping stories. "Alright, come here," he said while he laid down on his back.

Lucy's eyebrows shot up and pushed together. "Where?" she asked.

Gajeel growled in annoyance and rolled his eyes, then roughly grabbed her and pulled her down onto the bedroll with him. Lucy squeaked when she fell on top of his chest, and he just stared at her when he saw a light blush dusting across her cheeks before she scowled at him. "Here," he said smugly.

"I'm not sleeping on top of you," she hissed.

"Good, you're heavy as hell," Gajeel shot back. He wasn't expecting her to punch him in the face, but his head instantly whipped back to glare at her while he let out a snarl, baring his teeth at her like a wild animal. "Watch it, bitch," he growled threateningly.

"What did you just call me?!" Lucy shouted, pulling herself up and getting ready to hit him again. As her fist descended, Gajeel caught it and she squeaked again when suddenly he was pinning her to the floor—her wrists in each of his hands on either side of her head, his legs straddling hers—and snarling right in her face.

"Watch. It. Bitch," Gajeel growled again, his voice lowering while he tried to keep himself from snapping her in two. "Don't fuckin' hit me if you can't take a hit back."

"Who says I can't? I've taken plenty of them from you already," Lucy challenged, leaning up as much as she could and sneering at him. "Not my fault you're a pussy."

Gajeel's grip on her wrists tightened, feeling the bones shift slightly before he got himself a little more under control and loosened his grip. He continued snarling and growling at her, his breath hissing through his clenched teeth, unable to form words in that moment through the rage and hatred that was pouring from them both. "I hate you so goddamn much," he finally said through gritted teeth.

"Right there with you," Lucy agreed. "Now let me _go._" She struggled against the grip on her wrists, getting angrier when an almost predatory glint started shining in Gajeel's eyes. "Goddamnit, Gajeel!"

Gajeel chuckled darkly, then sat up while keeping a grip on her wrists. "I'll let it slide this time. We need to sleep," he said, his deep voice rumbling through the tent like distant thunder. "So, stop being a—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Lucy said with a huff. "You and I are gonna have to sleep next to each other. I'll just have to get over it. Can you let me go now?" Once Gajeel's hands released her, and he pulled his leg back over so he was sitting next to her, she pulled her hands down and started lightly rubbing her wrists while she glared at him. "Dick," she grumbled.

"Proud of it," Gajeel retorted as he laid back down next to her on his side so they could both fit without her being on top of him. He watched her lean down and pull the blanket of his bedroll up over both of them, then turned her back to him using her arm as a pillow. He frowned when he took a shallow breath and smelled fresh tears trying to fall from the blonde next to him. The past two nights she'd been having nightmares, tossing and turning restlessly, even whimpering a little while she cried in her sleep. She'd never woken up screaming though, and she never talked to him about it. Gajeel didn't really blame her for not talking to him, since the two of them didn't have deep conversations about a whole lot of anything—with the exception of that one night when he'd held her, and she kissed him. Based on the four words that came belting out of her when she'd finally woken up, he knew that she had to be dreaming about that night, probably reliving it in a way that made her weak and vulnerable. There wasn't a thing he knew to do about it, since the only time he'd had nightmares was just after Metallicana left, and he'd dealt with them on his own by simply ignoring them. Gajeel shook his head slightly, deciding he wouldn't bring it up unless it got worse, and closed his eyes while he tried to get himself back to sleep.

After what felt like a lifetime, Lucy sighed in frustration and tried to get more comfortable. They had left the town three days ago, and were making their way through Waas Forest to the next town where their mission was. Gajeel had finally told Lucy it was an S-Class mission, and that all he knew was they would get to kill things for a good payout. Since the day they had left the mountains, Gajeel hadn't talked about his physical attraction to her once, and Lucy let it go. She had been trying to hint at wanting to pursue that kind of relationship with him, as a way to vent her frustrations and because damn was he sexy, but it had backfired. She wanted to just come out and say it, but she wasn't sure he would believe her. So, Lucy just let herself fall back into the habit of secretly watching his muscles flexing and imagining all of those delicious piercings rubbing against her, and didn't say a single thing about wanting anything more than sidelong glances. Gajeel's breath puffed out across the back of her neck, making her twitch, and she finally elbowed him a little to make him stop.

"What did I say about hitting me, Bunny Girl?" Gajeel asked grumpily.

"I can't sleep…"

"… Why?"

"I can't get comfortable…"

Gajeel sighed and said, "Fuck, you're annoying… Roll over." When Lucy stiffened, he growled at her and said, "Just do it, alright?"

"Ugh, fine!" Lucy groaned, rolling over to face Gajeel and getting an eyeful of his completely bare chest and trying not to drool all over him or lick every inch of bare skin in front of her. She stiffened again when she felt him shift, and then scowled up at him when he flicked her forehead.

"Chill the fuck out. You wanna sleep or not?" Gajeel asked, exasperation lacing his voice. When Lucy nodded, he sighed and wrapped the arm that was under his head around her back and pulled her closer to him while he rolled onto his back. "Not a word, got it?" he asked.

Lucy looked up at his closed eyes in confusion, then nodded and laid her head on his chest with her arm wrapping around his waist. "Got it," she whispered while her eyes closed. "You're still a dick, you know."

"You're still a bitch."

"Long as we're on the same page," Lucy said with a smirk and a yawn. She snuggled closer to the warm body lying next to her, draping a leg over his and letting his metal-and-cinnamon scent wash over her. She froze for a moment when he shifted slightly, his head turning towards her and his free hand laying gently over her arm on his waist, then she sighed contentedly and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Lucy and Gajeel walked out of the mayor's office with matching scowls on their faces; Gajeel's was normal, but Lucy's was disconcerting. The pair of mages agreed to stay mostly silent while they were in the town—neither of them willing to have word get back to Master Jose about them representing the guild negatively—so Lucy sat back and let Gajeel handle the talking. He was the more experienced of the two, and the S-Class mage on the mission in the first place, so he technically ranked higher. Lucy's issue, however, was how quickly she was dismissed by the mayor himself, and told to wait outside "like a good little girl while the men were talking." She had looked at Gajeel with a raised eyebrow, silently asking what she should do only for him to give her a short nod that she should leave. She had sat outside of that room for fifteen minutes while the mayor blabbered on and on about how women shouldn't be allowed to work as mages, and that Gajeel shouldn't have wasted his time bringing his "mistress" along with him since she clearly wouldn't be of much help.<p>

Gajeel had stayed completely silent during the entire meeting, letting the mayor do whatever he pleased. He knew it was a dick move on his part since Lucy would be able to hear what the loudmouth was saying through the door, but he wanted to get back at her for pissing him off that morning. So, he'd allowed her to be dismissed, and even went as far as smirking to show his enjoyment at how upset she was about it. If anything, her anger would be redirected towards the monsters they had to fight. After almost ten minutes of the mayor ranting and raving about the "fairer sex" being in the kitchen—among other misogynistic ideals that Gajeel couldn't give a damn about—the geezer finally got to the mission itself. Apparently, there was a group of several wolf-like beasts that were running on a rampage through the town at dusk. Gajeel originally thought the mayor was joking, until he pointed out the window to a grassy knoll just outside of the town with instructions that they hung around on the opposite side until the sun went down. Then he informed the slayer that the beasts themselves were much larger than normal wolves with odd faces, vile and vicious creatures that spared no lives. Several mages had already come through the area, all in the attempt of bringing about the beasts' demise, and they all failed.

"Can you believe that asshole?" Lucy whispered, knowing Gajeel could hear her.

"Chill, focus on the mission," Gajeel grunted. "You heard what he said?"

"Yeah, wolf-things. Are you sure I'm strong enough for this?" Lucy asked worriedly. "Maybe you should have picked a different mission…"

Gajeel waited to speak until they were away from people again, leaving the town and making their way to the grassy knoll the mayor had indicated. Once they were outside of the town's border, he placed a heavy hand on Lucy's shoulder and turned her to face him. He looked down at her worried expression, smelled the uncertainty she was feeling, and shook his head. "We haven't been training for the past two weeks for nothing, Bunny Girl," he said firmly. "I don't know what these things are, and we won't know until we see them, but Master Jose had _me_ doing this for a reason. Don't forget what Phantom Lord's about."

"Get the job done," Lucy said with a nod. "No matter the cost."

"Exactly. The job's the priority. So, if you get hurt and I can't get to you, you're dead." Gajeel paused when he saw her bristle with fear, causing him to frown. "Same goes for me. Don't put yourself in danger just to try and save my ass. No matter what, get the job done. If you need my help, lemme know and I'll get to you as soon as possible."

"Right," Lucy said firmly, "But I can't depend on you to just show up, because you'll be busy too."

Gajeel smirked. "Now you're getting it."

Lucy nodded again, searching the fathomless garnet eyes for some sense of security. "I still think it was a mistake to bring me."

"Fuck what he said," Gajeel grunted, crossing his arms over his chest with a sigh. "You're not weak. And the two of us getting through this mission will show Master Jose the same thing. Now, why don't you show me what those spirits of yours can do? All I've seen is a maid popping out with supplies and a 'dog' that disappears as soon as it sees me."

Lucy giggled and rolled her eyes. "I'll have to tell Plue that he's safe with you around, you know."

"Don't go fucking with my reputation," Gajeel said with a frown. "I won't eat him, but that's about as far as it goes."

"Thanks, Gajeel," Lucy whispered, turning back to the hill in the distance with determination glinting in her eyes. "I'll prove to everyone I'm not weak."

"Damn straight."

As they continued making their way towards the hill, with the sun high in the sky just as it marked noon, Lucy glanced at Gajeel and said, "What do you say to a victory round at the bar before we're back in the mountains? It should give us enough time to heal from the fight."

Gajeel smirked and glanced down to meet her eyes. "Sounds good to me. Don't go dying on me, and I might even buy you a drink."

"Oh, such a romantic," Lucy chortled. "You'll just make me buy the next round for you." She shared a very subdued chuckle with Gajeel before they reached the base of the hill, then he signaled that they had to be silent while they tried to sneak up on the beasts.

Once they reached the top, Gajeel and Lucy peered down into the valley on the other side and saw four large creatures lounging on the grass while they gnawed at several deer carcasses. One lifted its head and sniffed the air, causing Gajeel to pull Lucy down and out of sight until he heard it return to its meal. The creatures themselves were about six feet long, covered in varying shades of grey and brown fur that touched every bit of them except for their faces, with bodies that very closely resembled wolves from the chest to their hind legs and tail. The front legs were less wolf-like and more humanoid, with muscular arms and five-fingered hands that sported deadly claws. They each had a long mane of fur running from just between their ears down to the mid-point of their backs. However, the most unnerving thing about these creatures was that their faces didn't match their bodies. Instead of having a wolf's face and snout, their ears and face were hairless: the ears were long and pointed, orange eyes with black sclera that were mostly overshadowed by thick eyebrows, snouts that protruded the normal distance for a wolf but held a more ape-like quality to them from the flared nostrils to the razor-sharp teeth with elongated canines that didn't allow their mouths to fully close.

Lucy frowned as she watched the beasts eating, then placed her hand on Gajeel's arm. When he looked at her, she held an imaginary key in the air and turned an invisible lock, then pointed down at the base of the hill. He nodded and she carefully crept down the hill and walked a good distance from it before quietly singling out her silver key and summoning him. "Hey, Grandpa Crux," Lucy whispered once the cross appeared, floating in the air lazily with his legs crossed.

"Hello, Miss Lucy. How can I help you?" Crux said.

Lucy gave him a description of the beasts, along with the few details of the attacks on the town they had received. "I need to know what they are, their strengths, and most importantly their weaknesses," Lucy said, "Also, they're just on the other side of the hill, so head back and let me know through your key what you've found, okay?"

"Of course, Miss Lucy," Crux said with a nod before he disappeared.

Lucy turned to see Gajeel carefully making his way down the hill toward her, and as soon as he was in earshot, she said, "Crux is going to find out what those things are. It's better if we have some sort of information going in, otherwise we'll be screwed."

"They really don't look that tough," Gajeel muttered.

"Probably not for _you_," Lucy said, "But my magic calls for using tactics rather than brute force." As if to prove her point, Lucy lifted her arm in the air and poked playfully at the spindly appendage, then pointedly looked at Gajeel's bulging biceps. "See my point?"

Gajeel smirked and nodded. "How long?"

"I'm not su—Right now," Lucy said with a smile, laying a hand over Crux's key while it warmed and he told her what he'd learned. A wide smile spread across her face once he was done, and she looked excitedly up at Gajeel. "Suddenly, I don't feel so worried about this mission."

"Why's that?" Gajeel asked.

"Because those beasts are called barghests," Lucy informed him. "They're pack animals, and tend to fight like wolves by ambushing their prey. They have the ability to shape-shift from wolves into something else, but they're in their natural form right now. They're at their strongest like this, since they pull the best attributes of both species into themselves. They're vicious, and don't stop fighting until their prey is dead, but they hate direct combat and use their ability to completely mask their scent with their surroundings to sneak up on prey."

"Okay, so what's got you feeling better about it?"

"Their weakness," Lucy said proudly, lifting a silver key from her ring. She quickly summoned the spirit and threw a hand over the excited girl's mouth before she could make a peep. "Lyra, I need your help for a fight."

"A fight?" Lyra whispered with her eyebrows drawn together. "No, no… I'm not—"

"Yes, Lyra," Lucy said with a soft smile, taking her spirits hands gently in hers. "You're the only spirit I have that can help with this. Don't worry, I'll keep you safe."

Gajeel looked over at the spirit, and instantly recognized the harp that was strapped to the young blonde girl's back as the harp he saw the morning that Lucy was meditating. "What's the plan?" he asked, looking over at Lucy. He finally saw what she was talking about before when it came to her spirits: there was love in her eyes, like the love that someone would feel for a friend or family member, and the promise she made about keeping Lyra safe showed through her whole body.

Lucy's gentle smile never left, even when she turned to Gajeel. "Their weakness is music, specifically a lullaby. Lyra here will play it and lull them to sleep, then you and I can go in and kill them. As long as her music is playing, they won't wake up."

Gajeel chuckled and nodded approvingly. "Well, how about I go round up the cattle while you guys get up there?" he asked with a wicked grin. Once Lucy's face mirrored his own and she nodded, he started making his way up the hill with the woman and her spirit tailing him.

"Alright, Lyra," Lucy said once they reached the top, "Start playing on my signal. We want them as close as possible so your song will hit them. You stay out of sight."

Lyra nodded and pulled her harp out, ready to play a sweet lullaby once Lucy told her it was time.

Seeing the spirit ready, Gajeel winked at Lucy then turned to face the beasts as he stood up fully on the hilltop. Instantly, four sets of glowing orange eyes landed on him, and the odd yipping sounds that echoed around the valley increased in volume as they slowly stalked forward. "I need to get on the other side of them, Bunny Girl," Gajeel said with a grin. "I'll send them right this way."

Lucy nodded and quickly summoned Taurus. "Taurus, I need to you launch Gajeel over those things."

"Anything to protect Luuuucy's body!" Taurus bellowed, then scooped up Gajeel on his axe and flung him into the air.

Gajeel cackled while he arced over the advancing beasts, watching as their heads turned to keep an eye on the only prey they had seen as he flew past them. He rotated in the air and landed solidly on his feet, growling at them and preparing himself for his attack. They moved slowly, each of the beasts sensing out the best way to attack the intruder, and once they were bunched together and within range, Gajeel took a deep breath and brought both fists to his mouth. "Iron Dragon's Roar!" he bellowed, a large green magic circle appearing in front of his closed hands and issuing a flurry of metal shrapnel at the four beasts.

Lucy grinned widely when each of the barghests flew into the air from Gajeel's attack and landed in a pile of limbs, with several large gashes on some of their bodies, about fifteen feet from the top of the hill. She signaled Lyra, and the sound of the harp's sweet and soothing lullaby filled the area. Lucy kept her eyes trained on the barghests, making sure that they actually were down before she made an appearance, and saw Gajeel running towards them. Each of the four beasts were on their feet before the lullaby started, but once the first few dulcet tones rang out, they started to sway lazily from side to side. When Lyra's angelic voice came in to sing, they all dropped to the ground. "Go ahead, Taurus," Lucy said, motioning for Taurus to head over and kill two of the creatures.

Gajeel shifted his arm into a large blade and made quick work of beheading two of the creatures while Lucy's bull spirit beheaded the other two with his huge axe. Once the work was done, Gajeel stood up and took a quick whiff of the air to make sure there weren't any others lying in wait for them, then nodded to Lucy.

Lucy sent Taurus back with a quick thanks, then turned to Lyra when she stopped playing. "See? You did great," Lucy said happily. "That would have been so much harder without you, Lyra."

"Aww, thanks Lucy!" Lyra squealed. "Call me out again sometime!"

Lucy sighed contentedly when Lyra disappeared, then turned to Gajeel. "See? Tactics."

Gajeel smirked and rolled his eyes. "Tch, tactics _and_ brute force," he corrected.

"Very true," Lucy agreed, turning back towards the town and slowly walking down the hill with the Iron Slayer next to her. "That almost feels like it was too easy," Lucy mumbled.

"Because it was," Gajeel said. "Either some seriously weak mages tried to kill those things, or they're harder than we thought and the music thing just made it simple."

Lucy giggled, then said, "Wel—" Her words were cut off as she was shoved roughly to the ground by Gajeel before a large dark brown blur flew over her head.

Gajeel snarled at the beast above him, ignoring the pain in his shoulders from the punctures of the beast's claws and barely holding its snapping jaws away from his face. He heard Lucy scream, smelled the faintest tinge of her magic in the air, and saw a golden flash out of the corner of his eye, so he could only assume there was another barghest attacking her. Gajeel shifted into his metallic scales and dug his own claws into the thing's throat, then shifted his leg into an iron pole and swiftly kicked at its hind leg, relishing the delicious snapping of the bone that resounded in his sensitive ears. With the momentary distraction of pain, Gajeel was able to throw the barghest off of him and quickly got to his feet, crouching low and sidestepping while they circled around each other.

Lucy snapped her whip at the medium-brown barghest that had tried to sneak up on her, thankful she had summoned Cancer when he dove in and the spirit started snipping the fur and nerve endings of the creature, severing the nerves in one of its front legs before jumping back to stand next to Lucy. She quickly wrapped her whip around its neck and sent Cancer back, then dove to the ground when it tried to lunge at her. She rolled down the hill with the barghest rolling right along with her. Lucy pulled herself up just in time to cry out in agony when the barghest's jaw clamped on her arm. She pulled a key out and summoned Virgo, then turned to try and get the creature's jaws off of her before it broke her arm.

Virgo's eyes hardened when she saw her Princess' predicament, and she instantly activated her Chain Magic, sending the chains at her wrists flying at the beast and wrapping tightly around its neck and torso. She pulled on the chains, tightening them and constricting its airway—along with breaking several ribs—before it finally dropped its hold on Lucy.

Gajeel sent a roar at the beast, growling when it dodged yet again. He rushed in and shifted his arm into a sword, extending it while he slashed down at the barghest's neck. It tried to dodge again, but one kick from his leg-turned-iron-pole made sure the hit struck its target. The head was instantly severed and Gajeel dropped to his knees to catch his breath, only to also inhale the overpowering scent of Lucy's blood in the air.

"Punish it, Virgo," Lucy cried out as she jumped on the beast's back, wrapping her whip around its neck several times and pulling tightly. Virgo's chains were still squeezing the life out of it at its neck and torso, but it wasn't dying fast enough. Pain lanced through Lucy's arm when she moved it to pull tighter on the whip, and a quick glance showed her several gaping holes from her wrist to her shoulder where its teeth had punctured her arm. A twisted grin, bordering on insanity, spread across her face when she saw that a tooth had broken off in her arm, and she gave up on the whip to rip the tooth from her body. Lucy couldn't stifle the scream at the pain it caused, but didn't she pause in her actions. Since Cancer had cut most of the fur off of the barghest, Lucy was able to see a weak spot in the flesh where its temple should be. Her legs tightened around its neck, and she gripped the tooth in both hands before violently plunging it into that soft tissue. It yelped in pain, falling to the ground but still alive, so Lucy ripped the tooth out and threw it onto the ground, then punched the hole she'd made with all her might. Lucy grimaced when her hand broke through the flesh and skull, and was instantly surrounded by soft tissue. She grabbed a hold of whatever she could and yanked her hand free, only to see that she had in fact torn out a portion of the thing's brain.

The beast was still writhing on the ground, even with part of its brain missing, so Virgo pulled on the chains once more and finally had enough power to snap its neck. Once it was dead, she made her way over to Lucy's side and reached her Princess at the same time as the Iron Slayer. "Princess, do you need me to attend your wounds?" she asked.

"I'll be… Fine… Virgo," Lucy answered weakly, wobbling on her feet a little and holding her injured arm to her chest.

Gajeel caught Lucy when she stumbled, and held her tightly to his chest while he looked up at Virgo. "We'll need our bags, Virgo," he said. "We're staying in town tonight. She's gonna need stitches."

Virgo nodded and disappeared, grabbing the first aid kit, then reappeared on the hill. She set the kit down on the ground and looked at Gajeel for a moment, then said, "Once you are settled, I will open my gate to bring your bags. Would you like for me to tend her wounds?"

Gajeel nodded at Virgo, then carefully knelt down with Lucy. "You alright, Bunny Girl?" he asked, pushing a few stray hairs from her face while Virgo got everything ready.

Lucy nodded weakly and smiled. "How'd I do?"

"Pretty damn good," Gajeel said. "Virgo's gonna check out your arm, okay?" He carefully adjusted her in his arms so she was facing sideways, and looked at the extent of her injuries. There were three large punctures on one side of her arm, and two on the other; one of them was torn open worse than the others, but Gajeel knew it was from when Lucy pulled that tooth out of her arm. Once his fight was finished, he'd smelled her blood and looked down to see the maid spirit's chains wrapped around the beast, and Lucy choking it with her whip while she was on its back. She was struggling, and he saw the blood pouring down her arm with every move she made, but he hadn't expected her to smile the way she had, rip a damn tooth out of one of the punctures, and stab the thing in the head even though she was in excruciating pain. When it fell to the ground, Gajeel thought she would leave it, but he'd been sorely mistaken: Lucy punched it and ripped its brain out, not even flinching when blood splattered all over her or when she looked down at the grey clump in her hand.

"Gajeel," Lucy whispered, "I'm really tired."

"You can't go to sleep, Bunny," Gajeel said while Virgo made quick work of cleaning her arm. "Virgo's gotta give you stitches."

"I hate stitches," Lucy pouted lazily. She slowly reached up and grabbed Gajeel's hand with her uninjured side, then pulled it close to her chest and kissed his knuckles. She tensed when Virgo started sewing her wounds shut, and Lucy's eyes clenched while she squeezed Gajeel's hand, refusing to make a single sound if she could help it.

"Last one," Gajeel whispered after a few minutes, rubbing soothing circles on Lucy's back without a second thought. He felt Lucy nod against his chest, and watched as Virgo expertly sewed the last wound closed, then quickly bandaged Lucy's arm and put it in a sling.

"Your shoulders," Virgo said while she looked over at Gajeel.

Gajeel looked down at his shoulders and shrugged. "I'll clean them up later."

Virgo nodded and said, "Princess has lost quite a bit of blood, so she will be weak for a period of time. Please take care of her. I will return so her magic is no longer strained, allowing her to heal faster." With one last bow, and a weak smile from Lucy before she left, Virgo disappeared.

"I'm sorry I got hurt again," Lucy whispered, not willing to let go of Gajeel's hand while she held it close to her.

"You're not the only one, Bunny Girl," Gajeel said with a smirk, "Yours is worse, but you'll live. Now how about we get our reward and go get some rest?"

Lucy nodded and carefully stood up, finally letting go of Gajeel's hand so he could help stabilize her as they made their way back to town. "You can just leave me at the hotel, Gajeel," she said as they walked into the town. "The mayor—"

"That mayor is gonna see what a real mage looks like after kicking some serious ass," Gajeel interjected sternly. "That pompous piece of shit talked my damn ear off earlier about how weak women are, so why don't you prove his ass wrong by coming in with me?"

"Because he'll just think I got hurt and you protected me," Lucy answered.

Gajeel sighed and shook his head, "Bunny Girl, listen to me. If you start letting people calling you weak get to you, then you _are_ weak." When Lucy flinched, his voice softened just a little as he added, "I've seen you out there firsthand, sparred with you, and trained you. You're _not _weak, no matter what anyone else says. If someone doesn't believe you, then make them eat their fucking words."

Lucy smiled up at Gajeel and nodded. "You're right, Gajeel. Thanks for that." She looked over to see the door to the mayor's office looming in front of them, and her smile turned decidedly more devious. "Let's do it."

The pair of mages made their way inside, with Lucy leaning against Gajeel so she didn't fall over and him secretly enjoying how her body felt pressed against his. They sat in the lobby for a few minutes before Gajeel looked down at Lucy and said, "You still feeling okay?"

Lucy nodded while her head rested on Gajeel's arm and said, "Yeah, Virgo's not draining my magic now so I feel a little better." She tried to sit up so she wasn't using Gajeel as a pillow, and was caught in a sudden bout of dizziness. Throwing her good hand to her head, Lucy closed her eyes in the hopes of the room not spinning anymore.

"Come here, Bunny Girl," Gajeel whispered, pulling her gently against his side and lightly wrapping his arm around her waist. "Don't push yourself, otherwise I'll be drinkin' alone."

Lucy sighed and laid her head on his shoulder, keeping her eyes closed and taking deep breaths filled with metal-and-cinnamon and fresh sweat. "Wouldn't want Black Steel Gajeel to have to drink all by his lonesome, now would we?" Lucy joked halfheartedly.

"Exactly, then who would I drink under the table?" Gajeel asked with a smirk.

"You only want to drink so you can _get_ me under a table," Lucy shot back softly, smirking to herself.

Gajeel's eyes narrowed at her statement; it had been the first time she'd said anything remotely close to his attraction towards her since he blew up at her a few days ago, but even though it sounded like she was trying to rub it in his face, it felt like there was something more to it that he wasn't seeing. Before he could say anything in return, the mayor toddled out of his office wiping a few crumbs from his moustache and off of his rotund belly. "He's here," Gajeel whispered, lightly nudging Lucy and helping her stand up.

The mayor raised an amused eyebrow at the pair of Phantom Lord mages. "Well, I see you've completed the mission. Hopefully your young friend here wasn't too hard to protect," he said while looking at Gajeel. "She really shouldn't have been out there at all, you know."

"She did just fine," Gajeel answered with a sneer.

"She can hardly stand," the mayor pointed out, though he didn't offer to let the girl sit back down either. "Covered in blood, dirty, injured, and on the verge of passing out. I'm surprised you two came back so quickly, but this surely isn't the way your guild operates."

Gajeel growled, the sound reverberating through his chest and into Lucy's head. She lifted her head and scowled at the mayor, and took a step forward with a deadly glint in her eyes. "I will have you know, _Mister Mayor_, that it was my magic that made the job as simple as it was. You have no clue what we had to do out there, because you were too busy sitting in your office jerking off to Sorcerer's Weekly magazines and eating doughnuts. I might be injured right now, but so is my partner. I did no less work than he did on this mission, and we will _not_ listen to you berating our guild. We came back to collect our reward, and to give you and this shitty little town some piece of mind that the job's finished!" Her voice had risen to a shout while she glowered at him, but she took a deep breath and added in a terrifyingly soft voice, "You would do well to remember that we're part of Phantom Lord. We get the job done, and if _you_ don't like the mages that come to do it then you should shut the fuck up and keep your goddamn opinions to yourself. Our guild doesn't allow the weak to join, so don't underestimate us again."

Gajeel smirked and watched the mayor go from unimpressed to ashamed, then scared and pale to downright terrified while Lucy spoke. The mayor stuttered out a quick apology and excused himself for only a moment while he went to get their reward. He came back with the bag of jewels in his hand and stuttered another apology before bowing and wishing the mages well on their journey. Gajeel leaned forward and took the reward, then said, "You might want to remember not to piss of Phantom Lord's resident bitch in the future." When the mayor nodded, Gajeel grinned darkly as he let Lucy lean against him again and led her out of the building.

Once they had gotten to the hotel, Gajeel helped Lucy to the bed and sat her down so he could jump in the shower to rinse off. As soon as he was finished, he turned on the bath water and got everything set up for the exhausted blonde, then walked out into the room to see her sitting in the same position and staring at the floor. "Gajeel?" Lucy whispered, looking meekly up into the Slayer's eyes.

"Come on, Bunny Girl," Gajeel said while he helped her stand up and make her way to the bathroom. Instead of leaving once she was in there, he led her over to take a seat on the edge of the tub.

"Do you think Master's going to be upset when he hears about what I said?" Lucy asked, leaning down carefully to remove her shoes and socks.

"If he is, I'll back you up on it," Gajeel said, kneeling down in front of her and helping her get the sling off. "That guy needed to hear it, and you were defending the guild, so I think he'll be fine with it. Plus, he knows you've got as bad a mouth on you as I do. At least you didn't hit the guy."

Lucy giggled while she watched Gajeel slowly lifting her shirt, keeping his eyes directed only on hers while he helped her undress. She pulled her uninjured arm, then her head, out of the fabric and said, "Wait, you hit a client?"

Gajeel carefully slid the shirt down her bandaged arm and threw it onto the ground, and nodded. His fingers itched to feel her smooth skin while he reached one hand behind her and popped the clasp of her lime green satin bra, but he refrained from touching her too much and said, "Yeah, guy said I didn't fit in too well with high class or some shit. Got my reward and knocked his ass out."

Lucy laughed and shook her head, ignoring how much she liked how Gajeel's fingers felt while he pulled down the bra straps. Once her breasts were bared, Lucy's good arm instantly moved up to cover her nipples—since there wasn't much else she _could_ cover—and she said, "I've always hated people like that. The ones that look down on everyone else just because they have more money. It doesn't make them any different, but I guess they just get this twisted idea that it does."

"Well, Master Jose kicked my ass after he found out I attacked a client," Gajeel said while his hands slid across the top of Lucy's skirt to try and blindly find a zipper or button, "Said it didn't matter what the client did or said, I wasn't allowed to hit them unless they physically attacked me first." Gajeel frowned and finally looked away from Lucy's face down at her hips and said, "How the fuck do you get this thing off?"

Lucy smiled warmly at his confusion, then said, "It stretches so you can just pull it down."

"Could have told me that sooner," Gajeel grumbled.

Lucy shrugged nonchalantly and slowly stood up. "Maybe I liked having your hands on me."

Gajeel's eyes narrowed at her in a glare, then he shook his head and hooked his fingers under the waistband of her skirt and panties and slowly slid them down her legs. He held his breath and turned to look at the ground when her clothes bared her very lickable hips and the little golden curls he'd barely glimpsed only once before. Since he refused to breathe, he couldn't smell her overwhelming arousal while she looked down at him, but he grimaced when his pants tightened as he felt the smooth skin of her thighs under his hands. Once the fabric was pooled around her feet, Gajeel's hands instantly moved back up to her hips while she carefully stepped out of the little pile, and he slowly stood up to help her get into the bath. She lowered herself, his hands still keeping her steady and submerging under the water, and he heard a contented sigh slip past her lips once she was seated. Gajeel pulled his hands from the water and grabbed a towel. He folded it over and laid it on the edge of the tub, then carefully set Lucy's injured arm on it. "Keep the bandages dry," he said gruffly, "No water on the stitches until it's time to take them out."

"Thanks, Gajeel," Lucy whispered, running the thumb of her injured hand over his knuckles when his hand lingered just within her reach. She frowned when he quickly pulled away and turned to walk out of the room mumbling something about ordering some food and telling her not to drown in the bath. _What is his problem?_, Lucy thought while she soaked in the bath. After their battle, Gajeel was tender and caring with her, holding her closely and soothing her while Virgo stitched her arm up and even letting her use him as a crutch while they made their way back to town since she was still dizzy from blood loss. She wasn't trying to put any emotional connotation to his actions, since she knew the only emotion they felt for each other was irritation and sometimes full-blown hatred. She knew that he was helping her because he was ordered to make sure she didn't die, but she also knew that he could just as easily have let her fend for herself earlier since Virgo was there, and he definitely hadn't been ordered to hold her that night she was attacked. She could tell he was still attracted to her if his reaction to undressing her just then was any indication, but he was also fighting to keep himself from looking at her or even being aroused by the sight of her naked body. It was so confusing that Lucy decided she just needed to give it some time to see what would happen.

Gajeel ran a hand through his hair after he ordered their room service. It was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore just how enticing Lucy was, and no matter how much he couldn't stand the woman he still wanted to feel every inch of her flesh under his hands while he drew every last scream of ecstasy out of her. He glared at the tent in his pants, wishing it would just go the hell away. For the first time in a very long while he wasn't in control of his hormones, and was on the verge of dropping his pants right then and giving himself a quick rub-and-tug to alleviate some of the pressure building inside of himself. Running both hands through his hair, Gajeel paced back and forth across the small room, then glared at the bed—the only bed in the room since there was only one room available. He was going to have to either sleep next to the busty blonde that had his blood boiling in more ways than one, or he would be sleeping on the floor. _Fuck the floor, that shit's uncomfortable as hell._

He listened to the bathroom intently for a moment, and didn't hear a single thing aside from a relaxed sigh from the naked blonde he kept fantasizing about. _You__ just __**had**__ to help her get into the bath,_ he berated himself, _Good job, ass. Now you're gonna have a raging boner all fucking night._ With another shake of his head, in a vain attempt to clear his thoughts, Gajeel sighed and decided he'd need to handle himself before she came out of the bathroom and their food got there. He walked over to the door, quickly opened it, and put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the handle so they would leave the food outside after a single knock to announce its arrival, then grabbed a few tissues and leaned against the wall close to the bathroom so he could hear any noises that would indicate Lucy was done in the bath. "Can't believe I'm fucking doing this," Gajeel muttered to himself as he unbuttoned his pants and pulled his rock hard member out of his boxers. He put his fist up to his mouth and quickly spit into it, then instantly dropped it to his manhood and started stroking himself. It was slow and tentative at first while he primed himself for the onslaught of erotic images he knew would surface, and with each passing second he found it more and more difficult to suppress any images of Lucy in every position imaginable.

It had been a while since he'd had the need to get himself off, especially since he usually just found some random chick in a bar and got the job done. Now, he had a nice hot piece of ass that was completely naked on the other side of the door, and there was no way for him to relieve this tension that _she_ was to blame for. There wasn't much that he had to imagine when it came to Lucy's body; he'd seen her almost completely naked when she returned from her first mission in her tattered clothes, saw her and held her in nothing more than a bra and panties, felt how soft her skin was under his hands. He knew his way around her lips and tongue, how sweet she tasted when he nipped along her collar bones. Gajeel's eyes closed and his head carefully tipped back against the wall so he didn't make a noise, with his lips clamped shut and pulled between his teeth while he fantasized about her. He heard her light moans echoing from his memory of their kiss, and his hand tightened its grip while he started pumping faster, his hips twitching slightly every time his calloused fingers grazed his flared head. He let himself get lost in the way his fingers glided across the piercings in his shaft, picturing her much smaller hand doing just the same thing.

Gajeel's thumb brushed over the tip, swiping the small drop of pre-cum down onto himself when the single knock sounded at the door. It was hardly loud enough for even him to hear, but it let him know that he needed to finish things soon. He could smell her arousal almost as if his nose was buried between her legs, and it made him gasp with just how realistic it was. His mind whirled with images of Lucy while his hips started flexing faster and harder into his hand, and he quickly bent his head forward to let another drop of saliva fall onto his open palm. He pictured her on the bed they would be sleeping in tonight, lying on her back underneath him with her legs spread wide while he slammed himself deep within her. Her back arched under his touch when he tweaked one nipple between his fingers, and he could hear her screaming his name. In Gajeel's mind, Lucy's walls started tightening in time with his release, urging him to please her with everything he had. Her nails dug into his shoulders while they switched positions, with her quickly bouncing on top of him and her lips crashing against his. Each whimper he pulled from her had his hand moving faster over himself while he fought to stifle a groan, and just barely succeeded. He tightened his grip again and plunged only his head into her imagined entrance over and over to tease the little vixen and make her beg. Gajeel could hear her voice as clear as day while she moaned and cursed with each thrust, and when her eyes widened and her body tensed up around him, he knew he'd be rewarded soon. One, two, three more thrusts into that delicious cavern in his mind, and Gajeel's other hand shot up to catch his climax in the tissues while he exhaled sharply and shuddered with each violent pulse. "Fuck," Gajeel whispered, shivering when he squeezed every last drop from his member from the base to the tip. He took a few shaky breaths and heard the drain on the bathtub being pulled. Even though his body didn't want to move at all, Gajeel tucked his softening member back into his boxers and did up his pants while he forced himself to walk over to the trash can and throw away the sullied tissues. The water was still going down the drain when he got back to the door, and he silently pulled the food inside while leaving the sign up without a second thought. The pair of mages had one hell of a fight and both needed to rest, so he didn't see any reason for someone to interrupt them unless it was an absolute emergency.

Lucy's bath was perfectly relaxing, aside from the throbbing pain in her arm from her bite wounds, and she felt revitalized enough to try and get out of the tub herself instead of relying on Gajeel to help her. _He told me himself that he won't always be around,_ she reminded herself sternly, _I can't let myself get too comfortable, otherwise I might start to depend on him too much._ She carefully pulled herself up from the bathtub and sat down on the edge with her feet on the floor while she dried herself off. She bent over and started at her feet, then slowly made her way up until she was finally drying her hair. A small wave of dizziness washed over her, but she brushed it aside since it wasn't nearly as bad as earlier in the day. Lucy stood to her feet and had to catch herself on the bathroom counter, and when she looked into the mirror she saw that she had gone pale just as shivers started wracking her body. It almost felt like she was going to vomit, so she slowly bent over the sink and rinsed her face with cool water, patting some of it on the back of her neck and down onto her chest. When she was upright again, Lucy wrapped the towel tightly around her chest and then started making her way to the door.

After a couple steps, she remembered that her clothes were still in a heap on the floor, so she thoughtlessly whirled around and bent down to grab them. When she stood back up, a stronger wave of dizziness crashed through her and Lucy fell to her knees, dropping her clothes and hearing her keys clanging against the cool tile of the floor. She grimaced at the thought of trying to move, but she stubbornly grabbed her clothes again and shakily stood to her feet. Neither she nor Gajeel had thought to grab a spare set of clothing for her before her bath, so she had to get out into the room to get changed before she could lie down. It was exactly five steps for her to get from where she was to the door of the bathroom. Five measly steps. She took the first two with little more than a slight tremble to her legs, the third was definitely shaky, the fourth a wobble, and the final step when she would have opened the door left her with legs like jelly that buckled instantly. She fell into the door with her good arm used to brace herself and groaned while she slid to the ground.

"Bunny Girl," Gajeel called from the other side of the bathroom door, frowning when he listened to the rapid beating of her heart and her shallow breathing, "You alright in there?"

Lucy shook her head, feeling another wave of vertigo coming on while she leaned against the door. "N-No," she said, though her voice seemed thick and distant. "Gaj…eel…"

Gajeel quickly turned the knob and went to open the door, only to meet resistance. He pushed again, and then realized she must have collapsed right in front of the damn thing. "Bunny, I need you to move away from the door. I can't open it," he said calmly.

"So… dizzy…" Lucy murmured, closing her eyes and pushing her eyebrows together to try and find enough strength to move. She found herself in a corner and carefully moved along the adjacent wall until she thought she was far enough away for Gajeel to get into the bathroom. "Okay," she whispered, hoping it was loud enough for him to hear her.

Gajeel turned the knob and pushed the door open, then looked down at the floor to see Lucy as pale as a ghost, panting, with her eyes closed while she leaned against the wall just inside the bathroom. He dropped to his knees beside her and brushed her hair away from her forehead. No fever. He checked her cheeks, which weren't flushed, her neck and even her chest. No fever. It couldn't be an infection from the bite. _She lost a lot of blood though,_ his subconscious reminded him. "Bunny," Gajeel whispered, tucking her hair behind her ear and watching her intently while she slowly turned her head to rest her clammy cheek in his hand.

Lucy forced her eyes open and saw worry in Gajeel's gaze. "Sorry," she whispered. "Didn't… want to… bother you."

Gajeel frowned and shook his head, then pulled her closer and lifted her in his arms. He took long strides over to the bed and carefully laid the towel-clad woman down, then sat down on the edge of the bed. "You're hurt, so you wouldn't be bothering me if you asked for help," he said. "Do you want my help, Bunny Girl?"

Lucy frowned at him and nodded, then shook her head no.

Gajeel couldn't help but chuckle a little bit and asked, "Mind clarifying?"

"I want your help," Lucy said slowly, sighing when she started to feel a little better as the worst of her dizziness went away, "But I have to deal with my own problems. You won't always be there, remember?"

Gajeel nodded, then got up to get her some clothing from her bag. He stopped just before he opened it, then sighed and pulled out a pair of underwear on the very top of the clothing inside before grabbing a shirt of his from his own bag. _I __**really**__don't feel like going through her shit to find clothes._ When he came back he set everything down on the bed next to her and said, "True, I won't. Only problem with your logic is that if I _wasn't_ here, you'd be in a hospital. So, either way you'd have someone helping you."

Lucy sighed and nodded, then closed her eyes. "Guess you're right… I just don't want to be a burden, especially since you're already being forced to work with me. I just want to pull my own weight."

"So, buy me an extra round when we're out drinking," Gajeel reasoned with a smirk. He picked up the red satin boyshorts and carefully put her feet through the holes, then pulled them up to the tops of her thighs. "Lift your ass, Bunny Girl."

Lucy giggled and planted her feet on the bed dramatically, keeping her eyes closed, then lifted her pelvis into the air just enough for Gajeel to pull her underwear up the rest of the way. She shivered while his fingers ran under the waistband to make sure it wasn't bunched up, and practically fainted when he did the same thing to the bottom hems just on her thighs and around to her backside. Once his hands pulled away, Lucy slowly lowered herself to the bed again, completely unaware of the fact that her towel had actually fallen open at her hips when she'd lifted herself up, giving Gajeel a perfect view of her womanhood.

Gajeel's jaw had fallen open when her towel moved, and it took everything in him to keep himself seated right where he was instead of diving in to lick and suck every inch of that decadent oasis between her legs. He hadn't been able to stop himself from running his hands over her just a little when he fixed her underwear, but her reaction to his touch had him wishing he'd left her in the bathroom to rot. _Too damn sexy for her own good,_ he thought while he picked his jaw back up and forced himself to grab his shirt from the bed. "Arms," he said.

Lucy peeked one eye open with a smirk and lifted her arms in the air with her wrists hanging limply, then said, "Yes, _sir_."

Gajeel chuckled again and slid her hands through the sleeves. The black fabric pooled around her chest, but he gently wrapped one arm around her shoulders and lifted her into a sitting position, then put the shirt on the rest of the way.

"Why does my shirt smell like you, Gajeel?" Lucy asked, still with only a single eye open to look at him.

"Because it's my shirt," Gajeel said, "I'm not going through your bag. That's a whole new level of creepy that I won't even touch."

Lucy opened her other eye and then rolled both of them while she said, "I've lost count of how many times you've taken my clothes off or put them on, Gajeel. I think grabbing something for me to wear is alright."

"Yeah well… get rid of the towel before you soak my shirt," Gajeel said while turning to look the other way.

Lucy sighed and reached under the shirt with her good arm, quickly loosened the towel, then smirked as she pulled it from herself and threw it on Gajeel's head. "All done," she said happily.

Gajeel could have died and gone to heaven with how thick her scent was on that towel. All he'd wanted to do was yell at her, but when he inhaled to do just that, there it was: sugar and almonds. He slowly pulled the towel from his head, then glared at her before he took it into the bathroom. He saw her dirty clothes on the ground just inside the door along with her belt, keys, whip, and sling. He stepped over them, hung up the towel, and then took a minute to wash the spit off of his hand from his earlier perverse hiccup. Once his hands were dried, he grabbed her stuff and walked back into the room to stop dead in his tracks when he saw her carefully walking over to the table where he'd set their food down. _Fuck she looks good in my shirt,_ he thought. Her blonde hair was mostly dry, and hanging around her shoulders, her breasts filled his shirt out pretty well and made it ride dangerously high on her lightly tanned thighs. He snapped himself out of his perusal and put her things next to her bag, then sat down at the table with her. All he could hope was that he would fall asleep quickly while he was lying next to her later on.

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><p><strong>And that's all she wrote for that chapter. What did you guys think? Poor Lucy and Gajeel can't catch a break. Well, more like Gajeel can't catch a break, and Lucy is clearly clueless about him being all worked up all the time. Either way, I'm sure a night of drinking will help clear the air.<strong>

**So, who really likes it when Gajeel starts acting all sweet (even though he still curses up a storm)? I know _I_ do...**

**Alrighty! Review, Follow, Favorite. I love you guys!~~GemNika.**


	4. Lemon Lake

**A/N: Well, it's a long chapter! That's really all I can say. Be prepared for some seriously adult situations… like alcohol and stuff. Remember, everyone: it's rated M for a reason.**

**(No Fairy Tail owning for me… werp werp…)**

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><p><em>Gajeel could have died and gone to heaven with how thick her scent was on that towel. All he'd wanted to do was yell at her, but when he inhaled to do just that, there it was: sugar and almonds. He slowly pulled the towel from his head, then glared at her before he took it into the bathroom. He saw her dirty clothes on the ground just inside the door along with her belt, keys, whip, and sling. He stepped over them, hung up the towel, and then took a minute to wash the spit off of his hand from his earlier perverse hiccup. Once his hands were dried, he grabbed her stuff and walked back into the room to stop dead in his tracks when he saw her carefully walking over to the table where he'd set their food down. 'Fuck she looks good in my shirt', he thought. Her blonde hair was mostly dry, and hanging around her shoulders, her breasts filled his shirt out pretty well and made it ride dangerously high on her lightly tanned thighs. He snapped himself out of his perusal and put her things next to her bag, then sat down at the table with her. All he could hope was that he would fall asleep quickly while he was lying next to her later on.<em>

~.~

Lucy slowly regained consciousness, gently drifting from her dream of being with the stars in the sky to looking at the backs of her eyelids. After she and Gajeel had eaten, she had felt much better and the short walk from the table to the bathroom to brush her teeth proved to be a success when she didn't get dizzy at all. Still, she was careful while she walked back over to the bed, holding onto the walls or random pieces of furniture while she made her way to lie down. Gajeel was already in the bed himself, sitting with his back against the headboard and watching her cautiously just in case she fell over and needed his help. While a small part of her was blushing like a schoolgirl over him keeping an eye on her, everything else inside of her said that he should trust her to take care of herself since she'd said she was feeling better. The bed was large enough that they could both sleep on their backs with space between them, so Lucy had crawled into the bed and passed out almost instantly after thanking him for his help.

Now that she was awake Lucy's arm was throbbing, and she knew that she would need to take some painkillers as soon as she was motivated enough to get out of the bed. She stretched, humming lightly when she felt several vertebrae in her back popping and sending waves of relief through her body, and that was when she noticed the heavy arm wrapped around her middle. There was a broad chest pressed to her back, muscular thighs right against the backs of her own slender ones, and the steady breathing of the allegedly intimidating Dragon Slayer puffing out across her scalp from where his nose was nestled in her hair. She tried to pull herself carefully away from his embrace, a light blush on her cheeks when she realized he had rolled over to curl around her and not the other way around. Just when she thought that she was free, Gajeel's arm tightened around her waist and pulled her closer to him, his hand lazily slid up her body to rest just under her breasts, and his face nuzzled against her head and pushed his nose further into her hair.

Lucy had never been held like this by a man, and she couldn't stop herself from letting out a small smile at how wonderful it felt. She intentionally refused to acknowledge that it was Gajeel holding her while she let herself sink further into his embrace, because if she did then it would ruin the moment. She couldn't really deny it for long when she absently started tracing the piercings on his muscular forearm, and she heard a rumbling in his chest that was completely different from any growl he'd ever let out before. Lucy bit down on her lips to stifle the giggling fit she wanted to fall into when she realized he was almost purring. It wasn't sweet and innocent like a cat in the slightest, and it still held the gravelly bass of his own voice, but it was absolutely precious to think that Black Steel Gajeel would sound like that just from having her touching his arm.

Slowly, and without trying to figure out why she was doing it, Lucy's hand slid down his arm until she touched the back of his hand. She laced her fingers with his and felt his hand tighten lazily while that purring noise behind her got louder. She had no clue how long she laid there with Gajeel holding her and her eyes closed, but she was in such a strange state of half-consciousness by the time he woke up that she couldn't even find it in herself to care about his reaction. She smirked when he stretched behind her and instantly went back to curling around her, and figured that he must be doing the same thing she had done when she woke up. After a few minutes of him not moving, though she could tell he hadn't gone back to sleep, she whispered, "Morning."

"It's almost time for dinner, Bunny Girl," Gajeel said with a voice thick from sleep. He couldn't figure out how or why he was cuddling with the blonde, but he was honestly way too comfortable to care right then. Just waking up to a nose full of her scent had his whole body completely relaxed, and it took her actually speaking for him to realize that he was almost touching her chest while she held his hand.

Lucy rolled her eyes and sighed, "You know what I mean, dick cheese."

"How can you just wake up and start insulting people?" Gajeel grumbled.

"It's an art," Lucy shot back. "Besides, there aren't any people here… I'm only insulting you." She winced when her arm started throbbing more insistently, and realized she probably shouldn't have been sleeping on that side to begin with. She carefully let Gajeel's hand go and rolled onto her other side, letting her bandaged arm drape over his waist.

"The fuck, Bunny Girl. I'm not a pillow."

"I slept on my arm, and it hurts," Lucy said softly. "At least I wasn't smelling you in your sleep."

"That's not what I was doing, ya little twat," Gajeel grunted. _Not my fault she smells fucking delicious._

Lucy shrugged and laid her forehead against Gajeel's bare chest, then said, "I'll get up in a minute. I'm comfy again."

"I'm still not a fucking pillow."

"You're right. Pillows don't _talk_ nearly as much as you do."

"If you're hearing pillows talking, then you're insane."

Lucy frowned and pinched Gajeel's side, then instantly regretted it when his hand shot up from her waist to clamp down roughly on her bandaged arm. "Fuck! Let go!" she yelled, not giving him a chance to react and biting his chest since it was the only thing she could reach.

"Stop biting me!" Gajeel growled.

"Let. Go. Of. Me," Lucy said with her teeth still clamped around the skin. She bit down a little harder and heard him growl, and then he tightened his own grip on her making her whimper. "You're. Hurting. My. Arm. Asshole."

"Keep licking me like that and your arm won't be the only thing that's hurting," Gajeel growled when he let go of her arm and yanked on her hair to pull her away from his chest. The last thing he needed was for her to bite him like that again, or for her tongue to be anywhere _near_ him. While her teeth on his skin like that had only made him furious, the instant her tongue and lips started caressing his skin while she talked had him fighting to keep his hands to himself.

"Why, are you gonna rip out my tongue?" Lucy spat, glaring at him with eyes full of the pain she was in.

Gajeel grinned maliciously and he pulled on her hair just a little more before he leaned in to hover over those tempting little lips of hers. Her mouth opened on instinct when he'd pulled, but he heard her breath stutter when she realized how close he was. "Don't tempt me, Bunny Girl. I might just do that."

Lucy couldn't move at all, not with how close his lips were to hers. She itched to close that distance and claim his mouth with her own, but his grip on her hair was unrelenting. "Let go of me, Gajeel. I need to check my arm out," she said angrily. Yet again, her body's reaction to him was drowned out by something else—though this time it was the pulsing pain in her arm rather than her own logic.

"You're not bleeding," Gajeel said when he let her hair go and laid back down on the bed. When she looked at him in confusion, he pointed to his nose, then added, "Go change the bandages though. Let me know if you need help."

Lucy sighed and slowly sat up, checking to make sure she didn't get dizzy again. When she was perfectly fine, she stood up and made her way to the bathroom, mumbling, "Yeah, because I want some cheeky bastard helping me when _he's_ the one that made it hurt so fucking bad…"

Gajeel sighed when the door to the bathroom closed, then rubbed his eyes and stared at the ceiling. While it was true that he hadn't meant to hurt her arm when she was already in pain, she had started it. He thought over how he'd woken up with her in his arms, how easily she had molded to him, and even how he didn't really mind feeling her hand wrapped around his that way. They had fallen asleep on their backs, with her passing out instantly and him getting up after watching her sleep only to take another shower in ice cold water before he could finally pass out himself. She hadn't seemed to mind lying next to him like that, and he knew that she had already been mostly awake when he finally came to, so that could only mean that she had grabbed his hand intentionally. All he needed was for her to say that she wanted a purely physical relationship—no hearts and romance, no trying to get to know one another and going on dates, just pure sex and all those wonderful screams that he knew he could pull out of her—and he'd jump at the chance for it. _All she has to do is give me the word, and she'll be on her back in no time flat._

* * *

><p>Lucy and Gajeel took their time getting back to the mountains, deciding to spend an entire week in Waas Forest between the town their mission was in and the final town before they were cut off from civilization by the mountain range so that they could train in a different setting. Gajeel had called Master Jose to inform him that the mission was completed and that Lucy was still undergoing training. When the guildmaster had asked how her training was going and how she performed during the mission, Gajeel gave him vague yet positive reviews and said he would get a full report on her progress once they were back in Oak Town.<p>

"Gajeel, all the blood in my body is rushing to my face!" Lucy griped while she continued doing her inverted sit-ups while dangling from a branch. They were on their last day in the forest before heading to the town and finally having that post-mission drink. Gajeel had been adamant about her training even though she was still injured, but he'd made sure to give her things to do that wouldn't hurt her arm or prolong her healing. Thankfully, that morning Virgo had come out to remove Lucy's stitches, so she was keeping a bandage on her arm for the next few days until everything was fully healed. "Can't I stop yet?"

"Nope," Gajeel answered. "Not unless you want to try them a different way."

"Will I be upside down?"

"No, but these are harder in some ways," Gajeel said while he finished his last set of push-ups. "Plus, you'll probably throw a tantrum about me being a perv for even suggesting it."

"Well, you're a huge fucking pervert!" Lucy shouted, pulling herself up one last time. She grabbed the branch and pulled her feet down slowly, then dropped to the ground to glare at the Slayer. "I call 'em like I see 'em."

"I guess you want to switch then," Gajeel chuckled. "Really, Bunny Girl… You should have let me explain it before you decided."

Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes. "Too late now. I'm not getting back in that damn tree."

"You asked for it…" Gajeel slowly stood up and wiped his hands on his pants, then picked up a towel to wipe away the sweat on his face. "Stretch and get some water," Gajeel said while he took a large gulp of his own. Lucy nodded at him and he watched her start drinking her water, then said, "Alright, doing them this way will work on your abs, back, ass, and thighs. You can switch it up to work on your obliques if you want, but we're not gonna worry about that today."

Lucy nodded again, put her water bottle down, then started stretching out her sides and stomach. "So, what do I have to do?"

"They're called Suspended Sit-Ups," Gajeel said with a smirk. "You can only do them with a partner."

"Why?"

"You'll see once you're ready," Gajeel said as Lucy rolled her eyes and huffed at him while she finished the last of her stretches. Once she was done, he stalked over to her and quickly scooped her up in his arms so that her legs were wrapped tightly around his waist, her hands instantly going to his shoulders while she squeaked in alarm.

"Gajeel! Put me down!" Lucy yelled. "And get your hands off my ass!"

Gajeel rolled his eyes and glared at her, then said, "Step one: You wrap your legs around my waist. Step two: I spread my legs so I'm stable, and squat down into a horse stance." He paused and spread his legs so his feet were more than shoulder-width apart, then carefully lowered himself and Lucy until his thighs were parallel to the ground.

"You're fucking kidding me, right?" Lucy asked, fighting her blush when she realized that doing sit-ups this way was going to make her rub all over his crotch. "And aren't your legs going to be tired?"

"Trust me, you'll be exhausted long before my legs get tired, Bunny Girl," Gajeel said with a smirk. "Step three: Tighten your legs so that you can support yourself without me holding you, and without your hands."

Lucy frowned and adjusted her grip on Gajeel's waist, finding out that she had to press herself as close as she could manage to gain enough of a grip to let go with her hands. Once she accomplished the task, she glared at him and said, "You're still touching my ass, Gajeel."

"Step four," Gajeel said with a chuckle, "I hold onto you by your belt just in case you lose your grip on me." He had decided that he wanted to mess with her by even suggesting this exercise. She'd had him worked up for days, and he was going to get her back for it. He slowly slid his hands from her rear up to her hips, watching her blush and her breathing quicken slightly. His fingers intentionally brushed lightly over the bare skin where her tank top had ridden up to expose her stomach, then he paused. "Well, you're not really wearing the proper clothes for me to hold onto, so I guess my hands will stay here."

"I've got my belt on," Lucy said, trying to keep her reaction to his touch to herself.

"Do you want to have to buy a new belt if this one breaks?" Gajeel asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No…"

"Exactly. Step five: slowly lean back until your parallel to the ground. Your body should be in line with my legs—it'll give you a way to gauge how far you need to go. Hands behind your head." Gajeel watched Lucy take a deep breath, glaring at him the entire time, then placed her hands behind her head and slowly leaned back. Once she was in the right position, with her thighs clenching his waist and her stomach tightened to keep herself in place, he smirked at her and said, "Alright, full sit-ups."

"That just puts my tits all over you," Lucy grumbled.

"If your tits weren't so big, they wouldn't come anywhere close, Bunny Girl," Gajeel retorted. "Now, quit dickin' around and get to work."

Lucy tightened every muscle she was supposed to in her abs, making sure she didn't strain her back or neck, and definitely making sure she didn't try to use her legs as leverage—if Gajeel found out, he'd just make it worse for her somehow, and there was no way for him to be oblivious when she was using him as an exercise machine. She slowly raised herself up, her chest rubbing against his and her face right in line with his face. "How many am I supposed to do?" she asked before lowering herself.

"Little lower," Gajeel said when Lucy paused just above his legs. She grumbled, but still lowered herself and looked to make sure she was in line with his thighs. "You're doing these until you drop."

"What?!" Lucy screeched as she sat back up. She jumped when one of Gajeel's hands left her hip and roughly spanked her backside. "Perv…"

"One, don't scream in my ears. I can hear you just fine. Two, I said you're doing them until you drop. I wanna see how many you can do like this because it's working slightly different muscles. Three, you knew I was a pervert and you still wrapped your legs around me. So, quit your bitching and get back to work."

Fifteen minutes, far too much sweat, several hundred curses, several intentionally rough brushes over Gajeel's crotch, and an entirely aching body later, Lucy sat up for the last time and wrapped her arms around Gajeel's neck when her legs finally gave out. Every time she sat up, Lucy had to fight a moan from the way her core rubbed against Gajeel and how wonderful it felt to have all of that friction between them. His hands slid from her hips to her rear again, but he didn't stand up. Instead, he stayed in the same squatting position and let her legs drape lazily over his. "You're… a fucking… asshole," Lucy panted. "I have… a whole lake of sweat… between my tits… because of you."

Gajeel snorted and shook his head. "I highly doubt that," he said, "Your tits are huge, but not _that_ huge."

Lucy picked her head back up, blowing the stray strands of hair that stuck to her face away, then pulled back a little and pointed at her chest. Gajeel's eyebrow raised, but he still looked at what she was pointing at, and she couldn't help but laugh at the astonished expression on his face when he saw the sweat that had collected in the top of her cleavage. "I told you!" Lucy taunted.

After another minute of them sitting in the same position, Gajeel carefully stood up, finally having felt a slight burn in his thighs, and set Lucy's feet on the ground. While he had originally wanted to have her exercise like that to get back at her, Lucy seemed to show no signs whatsoever of being affected by it. He couldn't even tell if she was getting turned on with how much her scent permeated the air around them while she was sweating. Gajeel on the other hand had been forcing himself to think of anything other than dropping her to the ground and tearing her clothes off every time her body brushed against him. He honestly couldn't care less that she was covered in sweat from working out, because she still smelled absolutely delectable, and the way the sun glistened off of her skin almost made it seem like she was glowing.

Once Lucy was steady on her feet, she pulled back from Gajeel and tore her shirt off and wrung out all of the sweat that was already soaking through it, then used the semi-but-not-so-much-dry shirt to mop up the rest of her sweat. Finally, when she was cramming her shirt into her sports bra and between her breasts, she turned back to Gajeel only to see him bashing his head into a tree. Over and over again.

* * *

><p>Lucy hummed happily with Plue in her arms as she walked from the hotel they were staying in to the bar down the road. Gajeel had taken the first shower when they got into town at seven, and they had agreed that she would meet him there whenever she was ready. It was a small town, and there wasn't really any reason for her to dress up to go to the bar, so Lucy decided to just wear her normal clothes. Tonight, she decided to go with a blood red off-the-shoulder belly shirt that was twisted to create a black and red crisscross pattern over her ample chest with a small zipper on the back, a black denim micro-skirt with red stitching that only covered her ass if she had it pulled down so the waistband was just above her golden curls (which she'd trimmed just a little lower for the sake of wearing the skirt for once), a new pair of black ankle-high combat boots and her belt with whip and keys.<p>

As soon as the she was approaching the door to the bar, Lucy sent Plue back and walked inside. Every set of eyes in the room landed on her as soon as she walked in, gazing at her hungrily while she searched for the familiar pair of red eyes and long black hair that belonged to a very menacing Dragon Slayer. Sitting at the far end of the bar—_Of course, because now I'll have to walk through the entire building just to sit with him,_ she thought—Lucy saw Gajeel staring at her, and she could almost feel his eyes raking over every bit of her body while she started her walk over to him.

_Holy fucking hell,_ Gajeel thought while he watched her walk over to him. There was honestly so much of her skin exposed that she might as well have come to the damn bar naked, but he definitely wasn't going to complain. Her hips swayed in a way that made his mouth water, more so when he saw how low her skirt was sitting, and every step she took had her breasts bouncing ever so slightly. Seeing her dressed in skimpy clothes really wasn't anything new, but he'd never seen her in something like this. In that moment, Gajeel decided that black and red really looked good on her—and might even venture to say it was his favorite combination—especially since her outfit perfectly matched her exposed guild mark just below her breasts. Gajeel's eyebrow raised in amusement when he saw a man bravely stand up from the bar to try and make a grab at Lucy.

Lucy paused in her walk to where Gajeel was when a man with auburn hair that hardly stood much taller than her without heels on blocked her path. He reeked of too much bourbon, and was swaying where he stood, but he decided that Lucy needed to have a little fun with his hands on her exposed hips. She smiled sweetly at him and shook her head when he asked if she wanted to go back to his place—_Really?,_ she thought, _You just walk up to a chick and ask if she wants to go home with you?_—and then started walking around him to keep making her way to the end of the bar while rolling her eyes.

"Really, asshole?" Lucy muttered when the man roughly grabbed her arm. She turned around to face him with the same sweet smile on her face, biting her lip innocently while her hand caressed his cheek. With one swift movement, she grabbed the side of his face and slammed his head into the bar, then stepped over his limp body on the floor and kept moving to her original target.

As soon as Lucy sat down on the stool next to him, Gajeel couldn't help but laugh. "Nice, Bunny Girl," he said, "Less than five minutes and you're assaulting people."

"He's a pervert," Lucy grumbled, crossing her arms under her chest and pouting.

"And you're dressed like a hooker," Gajeel said pointedly while he looked over her scantily clad form again.

"Well, I think I'm safe," Lucy said with a mischievous grin, "I've got Black Steel Gajeel as a drinking buddy."

"True," Gajeel nodded. "Speaking of which, what are we drinking?"

"Whiskey?" she asked hopefully. She actually loved the taste of good whiskey, and had found out as much when she was still living at home with her father and sneaking sips from his liquor cabinet. Her most recent memory of whiskey was tainted from that night she was attacked, so Lucy was determined to remind herself just how wonderful it tasted.

"Whiskey," Gajeel nodded with a smirk.

After several glasses of whiskey on the rocks, Lucy was already feeling a wonderful buzz. She lifted her full glass in the air a little and smiled lazily at Gajeel. "A toast," she said, the alcohol causing a light blush across her cheeks and nose.

Gajeel smirked and raised his glass. "What are we toasting to, Bunny Girl?"

"To… A successful mission."

"We already toasted to that."

"Hmm," Lucy hummed. "To the guild."

"Already did it."

"Damn… Training?"

"Nope."

"Son of a bitch..." Lucy grumbled. "To working with the most annoying bastard in all of Earthland!" she shouted with a wide grin.

Gajeel chuckled and finally clinked his glass against hers. "I fucking hate you too," he said just before he downed the rest of his drink.

Once Lucy set her empty glass back on the bar, she turned to face Gajeel and leaned her head on her hand while her elbow rested next to her glass. "You know," she said slowly. "I think I only… half… maybe eighty-percent hate you."

"That's a pretty big jump, Bunny Girl," Gajeel said with a smirk, motioning to the bartender for another round of drinks.

"Half… Eighty…" Lucy said, tipping her head back and forth. "Okay, we'll call it sixty-five just to make it even."

"That's not an even number."

"Sure it is!" Lucy said earnestly. "Half is even, and eighty is even. So halfway between those two is even!" Lucy paused and lifted her hands in front of her, holding up her fingers for each number she said while she continued. "Besides, six is even and five is odd, but six plus five is eleven. Now, eleven is odd, too… _Buuuuut_ one plus one is two. Two is an even number, so sixty-five is even!" One she was done, she threw her hands into the air and grinned widely. To everyone else in the bar, Gajeel looked like he was about to murder her—Lucy, on the other hand, only saw the amusement dancing in his eyes and wasn't afraid in the slightest when his pointed teeth came out for an appearance while he smirked at her.

Gajeel chuckled again and said, "That's not how it works, Bunny Girl."

"No, you're right," Lucy mumbled, dropping her hands to her lap and pouting. After a moment, a triumphant grin spread across her face as she said, "But it _is_ halfway between half and eighty!"

Gajeel shook his head and grabbed his glass once the bartender set it down. After taking a small sip, he said, "Okay, and what's half? I didn't realize that was a number."

Lucy pouted and thought for a moment, circling a finger on the bar around her fresh glass. After a moment, she smiled and said, "Well, it's halfway between zero and a hundred. Y'know… Half!"

"So, fifty?" Gajeel asked.

"Right, that's what I said!" Lucy giggled when Gajeel chuckled and shook his head while he took another sip of his whiskey. She watched as his eyes never left hers, and saw the faintest glint of the metal that adorned his face. "You know… Your piercings are _really_ sexy," she said wistfully. "I bet they're yummy too… You should let me lick them sometime."

Gajeel choked a little bit and carefully set his glass down while he raised an eyebrow at her. "O…kay?"

"Are you pierced everywhere?" Lucy asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Like where?" he asked cautiously, listening to the bartender chuckling from the other end of the bar while he cleaned a glass. Gajeel glanced over at the man and saw him shaking his head while trying to hold his laughs in. Clearly, this wasn't the first time the guy had eavesdropped on a conversation, but it was probably one of the funniest based on how hard it was for him to stifle his laughter.

"Like… Your belly button!" Lucy said happily, then frowned. "Wait, no… I see you shirtless every day, and I've never seen a piercing there… Trust me, I've looked… Oh! Your hips!"

"What?!" Gajeel asked.

"Yeah! You know," Lucy stood up shakily and dramatically smoothed down her skirt. She grabbed Gajeel's hands then placed them on her exposed hip bones, and said, "Right here. I've never really gotten to look at your hips before…"

Gajeel raised a pierced eyebrow and slowly shook his head while his eyes honed in on where she'd put his hands. The skin was soft and smooth just like he remembered, and with how low her skirt was sitting he could feel his mouth watering with the urge to lick all of her exposed skin. His eyes slowly drank in every inch of her from her hips back up to her flushed face, and he said, "No, my hips aren't pierced, Bunny Girl."

"Hmm… How about… Your legs?" Lucy asked, biting her lip gently when Gajeel's thumbs started making slow circles on her hips. "I've never seen your legs either."

"Nope, not my legs," Gajeel answered with a smirk, carefully pulling her closer so she could stand between his spread legs.

"Well, your back's not pierced… There's not much of you that I _haven't_ seen…" She paused for a moment, lifting her hands to his arms and circling around the piercings there. "Is your dick pierced?" Lucy asked innocently, smiling and sliding her fingers over the piercings in his arms as she moved up to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Gajeel whispered.

"I would…" Lucy said with a fervent nod and a giggle. "Tell me." She tucked her hair behind her ear, then turned her head to the side so she could hear him better.

Gajeel leaned closer to her, letting his lips ghost over her ear and his breath dance over her skin. "Nine times, Bunny. Wanna see sometime?" he whispered, closing his eyes for a moment and running his nose along the shell of her ear while he took in her scent with a lecherous smirk.

Lucy's jaw dropped open and her eyes went wide. _Nine,_ she thought hazily, _That's a lot of… I wonder how it feels…_ She slowly turned her head back to look at Gajeel and noticed that he hadn't moved from where he was. Her nose lightly brushed against his and she whispered, "Yeah, but not tonight."

"Why's that?" Gajeel asked, his voice loud enough for only her to hear him in the din of the bar. His hands slid from her hips to the tight ass that had been tempting him every time she moved, and he watched her eyes widen in shock before she gave him a sultry smile.

"Because I haven't even kissed you yet," Lucy whispered. "I forgot what you taste like."

"Do you want to kiss me?" Gajeel asked.

Lucy's eyes darkened with lust while she softly said, "All the time. You just don't notice it."

"So do it now, Bunny. I'm not stopping you."

Lucy giggled when Gajeel's grip on her backside tightened as if he was encouraging her, then she slowly closed the distance between them. That same spark from the first time they had kissed was intensified tenfold, and Lucy moaned lightly when one of Gajeel's hands slid up her back and pressed her tightly to his chest. While she had initiated the kiss, Gajeel was completely in control. His tongue darted out and flicked across her lips before he pulled it back, and the next time he did it she gasped when she felt the little piercing in his tongue dragging across her lip. That delicious pierced tongue darted into her mouth seemingly on a mission to make her knees weak while it glided and battled with hers. She tasted the whiskey he'd had, and wondered if she could actually suck the excess alcohol off of his tongue. With a small smirk, Lucy closed her lips and sucked lightly to test out her silly little theory, making him groan and push her skirt up just a little bit so he could feel the bottom of one cheek. Her tongue circled around his, teased the iron barbell, and with one last pull she let it go.

Gajeel pulled his tongue back into his mouth and nibbled on her lips before moving down to her neck. He chuckled when she pulled her arm away to grab her untouched glass of whiskey, but just before she put it up to her lips, his head shot up and he frowned. He grabbed her glass and put his nose to it, then growled when he smelled something more than alcohol. "Open your mouth, Bunny," he ground out, pulling her skirt back down when he remembered they were still in a public place.

Lucy frowned, but popped her mouth open and watched as Gajeel leaned in and smelled her breath. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Gajeel sighed in relief when he didn't smell anything off—there was Lucy's scent, whiskey, and his own, but not what he smelled in her fresh glass. "Nothing," he said while he set the glass down. "Come on, let's go back and get some rest. We've got training tomorrow."

Lucy pouted at Gajeel while he picked up his own glass and smelled it. Once he poured the remaining liquid into his mouth, she said, "But I wanted another drink."

Gajeel smirked at her and pushed her away from him slightly so he could stand up. He lifted one hand and pushed her chin down, and saw a delighted smile turning up the corners of her mouth while he leaned down. Once his mouth was against hers, he opened his lips and let the rest of his drink fall into her waiting mouth. She moaned lightly and gulped it down, then kissed him softly before pulling away.

"Remind me to just drink like _that_ next time" Lucy whispered, sucking on her bottom lip to pull every ounce of how Gajeel tasted from it. "You make it taste even better." She smiled softly when Gajeel rolled his eyes and smirked, then wrapped his arm protectively around her bare waist while he led her out the door. Just before the door closed, everyone in the bar could hear the young blonde say, "Will you let me count your dick piercings sometime?"

* * *

><p>Lucy woke up the next morning with the barest remnants of a headache, hardly enough to even be called a hangover. She yawned and stretched, frowning when she couldn't get her back to pop the way she wanted, then slowly sat up in her bed. The sun was barely cresting the horizon, sending dull early morning light in through the curtains. She blushed while she thought over the previous night at the bar with Gajeel. She couldn't really remember everything that she'd said, but she <em>did<em> remember asking if his dick was pierced… and his answer. Then she had kissed him. Again. Lucy felt renewed heat pooling in her belly when she thought about how his hands felt while they caressed her, even when he'd pushed her skirt up a little in the middle of the bar to feel her bare backside. She hadn't cared at the time, and was more than willing to drag him back to the hotel and tear each other's clothes off. She was frustrated when they got back to the room—but thankful and a little touched now that she was totally sober—that he'd had enough presence of mind to say that her consenting while drunk wasn't the same as when she was sober. He was fine with kissing her, and some light touches here and there, but he downright refused to go any further; he'd said that if she wanted to do anything else, she needed to tell him while she wasn't drunk so he knew she was serious. She frowned when she remembered how abruptly they had left the bar though. She was going to take a sip of her drink, and Gajeel took it away and said they had to train today. _But, today's my day off,_ she thought as she glanced at the still sleeping Slayer in the next bed.

Shaking her head and deciding to just ask him about it later on when they were on their way back to the mountains, Lucy quietly got up and went to the bathroom, then came back out to see that Gajeel was still passed out. Usually, if she got up first he was awake by the time she was done using the toilet. She carefully walked over to his bed and pulled the blanket down to his hips, and was silently thankful that he was lying on his back when she pulled one leg over to straddle him. She might have been drunk the night before, but she'd made her mind up a week ago that she wanted a physical relationship with him. Now, it was time to stop beating around the bush and show him just what she wanted.

With her hands on either side of his head, Lucy slowly leaned down and brushed her nose along his. He snorted and his nose twitched, but otherwise he didn't wake up. Stifling a giggle, Lucy moved down and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. Still no reaction. Frowning, Lucy tried to think of something she could do to wake him up. A small lightbulb went off over her head and she grinned deviously as her lips glided along his cheek to his ear. She nibbled on the piercing in his earlobe for a second, then whispered, "Gajeel…" When he still didn't react, Lucy raised an eyebrow and decided it was time to play dirty. She closed her eyes and let herself delve into one of her many fantasies about him for the briefest of moments. Just long enough for her to get the inspiration she needed. "Oh, Gajeel," Lucy moaned, "Mmm, just like that…" She leaned closer, panting slightly then moaned again, "Fuck, that's it… Oh… Right there…. Harder… Ngh…"

"Bunny Girl, if you're gonna make those noises you'd better actually be riding my dick," Gajeel grumbled, wrapping his arms around the blonde and pulling her against his chest before he rolled onto his side.

"Took you long enough," Lucy mumbled against his neck.

"Whaddya want?" he asked after he yawned. "We get to sleep in today."

"I wanted to count your piercings," Lucy said with a smirk. She giggled when Gajeel stiffened and cracked one eye open to glare sleepily at her.

"What are you talking about?" he asked slowly, wondering just how much of last night she remembered. He hadn't been nearly as inebriated as she was, though he'd gotten a decent buzz, but he distinctly remembered leaving the bar with her asking to count very specific piercings.

Lucy bit her lip and slowly slid a hand down Gajeel's chest, then lightly dragged her fingers just under the waistband of his pants and boxers. She watched his other eye slide open to look questioningly at her, then his breathing stuttered when she pushed her hand a little further under his clothes. "Can I count them?" she asked, her voice taking on a slightly husky quality.

Gajeel's eyes actually went wide when her fingers brushed over the coarse hairs just above the base of his shaft, and he nodded absently. His brain wasn't really too focused on making words at that point, only on how her slender fingers felt while they moved along his pelvis. Lucy leaned up slowly and hesitantly brought her lips to his as her hand lightly closed over his impressive length, and he couldn't help but groan when he finally felt her hand on him and her lips against his. His hands glided over her back, one pulling her shirt up a little so he could feel her bare skin while the other slid down to cup her rear.

Lucy moaned into the kiss when his hands started caressing her, and she started carefully stroking him while she marveled at the size of him and the piercings she felt. Nine barbells climbed up the underside of his shaft, creating ridge after ridge that she couldn't help but pay special attention to while she explored every inch of him. Her thumb circled the prominent ridge of his head, then up and over the tip of him making him groan and force his tongue into her mouth. While their tongues danced and battled, Lucy's fingers continued their exploration, moving down quickly over the piercings in his shaft again and counting them in quick succession before she lightly dragged a single fingertip in careful circles over his sac.

Gajeel gasped and shuddered, rolling onto his back and pulling Lucy along with him while she was trapped in his embrace. Her hand was still between them, still stroking and teasing him in ways he'd never imagined possible, and all he could do was keep his lips pressed to hers while his tongue ravaged her in ways he'd only dreamed of. He didn't even try to stop himself from letting Lucy hear just how much she was affecting him, instead focusing on how her body felt beneath his fingers when they pushed under her lacy panties to palm her backside again. "Fuck, Bunny," Gajeel moaned when she pulled away after nibbling on his lower lip and started making her way down his neck.

"Off," Lucy rasped just before she bit down on his collar bone, smirking when he let out a soft growl and let go of her to push his pants down and kick them off into the room. She adjusted her hand as she kissed a searing path down his chest, dragging her teeth over both nipples and giggling when he thrust more insistently into her hand. Her tongue darted out to circle around his navel while she looked up into his heated gaze and she paused at his hips to lightly suck on each one. "Hm," she hummed with a smirk, "Guess they're not pierced after all."

Gajeel smirked and shook his head while he continued panting with each movement her hand made over his shaft. "No… But they can be…" His hands fisted in the sheets when she giggled and her breath danced over the tip of him, and he bit his lower lip while he watched her hovering over him with the sexiest smirk he'd ever seen in his life.

"You keep count," she whispered, running her tongue lightly over his flared head and watching his eyes roll back while he nodded. Lucy closed her lips around his head, and slowly swirled her tongue from the tip to the ridge and back. She lowered her head just until the first piercing passed her lips, then flicked her tongue over it again and again, prodding one side of the barbell before moving on to the other and pulling her head back up.

"One," Gajeel moaned, licking his lips when he felt her tongue gliding down his shaft until she reached the second piercing. His breathing was already becoming ragged, but he was still able to say, "Two," when Lucy pulled her head back up.

Every time she lowered her head, she repeated the same actions for each new piercing she came across, and when she pulled away Lucy pressed firmly against each of them while her tongue slid over them. By the time she'd gotten down to the eighth piercing, Gajeel had his hands sifting through her hair, and she could tell he was having a hard time holding himself back from forcing her head down all the way. She pulled back up and let him go with a pop, then moved down and tilted her head to the side while she wrapped her lips around the last piercing with a long moan.

"Holy fuck," Gajeel groaned with wide eyes, tightening his grip in her hair and gritting his teeth when she slid back up with only his piercings between her lips. "Bunny, what the hell?" he panted incredulously, never having experienced something that made him ready to blow his load before she'd even really started.

"Last one, right?" she asked, pressing a sweet kiss to each of his hips. When he nodded, Lucy closed her mouth over him again, and she felt him slowly pushing her head down towards his base. She took a deep breath through her nose once she got to the seventh, the relaxed her throat and forced her head down roughly until her lips were pressed against his pelvis. The long moan that left Gajeel's mouth had her pulling back up just until he was free from her gag reflex, then slamming back down onto him over and over with short strokes that gave her just enough time to breathe. She pulled back up all the way, hollowing out her cheeks to collect any excess saliva and letting him go with a small pop, then smirked when she caught him looking longingly at her.

Gajeel couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight of his cock disappearing between her lips. When her tongue circled around his tip again while she let him see what she was doing, he nearly lost the last thread of his control that kept him from tearing off her clothes. Her hand started stroking him faster, her thumb pressing into the piercings that lined his shaft and sending searing pleasure coursing through him in quick succession. "God, I wanna fuck you so bad," he groaned when her mouth descended on him again, his grip tightening in her hair and pushing her just a little faster.

Lucy sucked harder while she pulled back up, earning a very gratifying growl from Gajeel. "Nope. Just a blowjob," she whispered with her lips brushing over the small opening in his head before diving back down with a moan.

"C'mon, Bunny… Fuck… Don't tease me," Gajeel said, dropping his head to the pillow and gasping when her hand came up to massage the sensitive flesh of his sac while his body started to tighten up.

"Not teasing," Lucy said softly, her words broken by quick plunges of Gajeel's hardened manhood into her wet cavern, "Sex later… I wanna… Taste you." After a few more dips of her head, Lucy pulled away completely and sat up on her knees on the bed.

"What are you—" Gajeel asked, wondering why she stopped and why she was giving him a devious little smirk with those swollen lips of hers.

"Come here," Lucy whispered, leaning forward and grabbing Gajeel's hands. She pulled him forward until they were both kneeling on the bed, then kissed her way down his chest again until she was on her hands and knees in front of him. "Show me how much you want to fuck me," she rasped, licking a trail from his navel downwards, "Give me a taste." Once she reached his manhood, Lucy grabbed his hands and placed them back on her head, then slowly took him into her mouth.

Gajeel groaned while his eyes stayed locked on hers, and once he was fully sheathed she winked at him and stayed completely still. A wicked grin split Gajeel's face and his grip tightened in her hair while he said, "Might wanna move those lips, Bunny. You could chip a tooth." He sucked in a sharp breath when he felt her lips move to wrap around her teeth, then he pulled her head back only to roughly thrust into her mouth again. Once only his head was nestled between her lips, his head fell back when her tongue flitted quickly across it while he gave a few short strokes before returning to his previous pace.

Lucy's eyes fluttered closed, moans spilling from her every time she was pulled away from Gajeel's body. She sucked more urgently when he started moving faster, tilting her head just slightly and reveling at the string of curses he let out. She loved the way his piercings felt while they passed over her lips in quick succession, and she frowned slightly when she realized that he wasn't letting her feel all nine of them. Her hands slid up his thighs and she was finally able to appreciate each and every muscle she'd never gotten to see on him before. Just like the rest of his body, Gajeel's legs just screamed powerful and dangerous while they flexed with each thrust into her mouth. She continued her journey until she reached his hips, circling her thumbs around them for only a moment before she pulled him forcefully against her mouth and down into her throat.

"OH Shit!" Gajeel shouted, pulling back and slamming back into her as far as he could go again and again. The way her throat gripped him nearly had him spilling over the edge, but he wanted to feel more and more of her. Her hands ghosted over his thighs when he kept pushing all the way in and picked up his rough pace again, giving her a taste of just what he could do once he was nestled between her legs. Just the fact that she was letting him do this, and taking everything he gave her without batting an eye, had that all-too familiar tingle starting to travel up his spine as he neared his climax. She still moaned around him whenever she got the chance, her mouth gliding easily over his rock-hard member and giving him only the faintest idea of what it might be like to finally push between her slick folds. His pace was rough and relentless, his hips snapping frantically, and Gajeel still couldn't believe she had wanted more. He groaned again and again as heat started spreading through his limbs, his skin becoming hyper-sensitive just before he spilled over. "You wanna taste, Bunny?" he moaned, pistoning faster and harder into her while he looked down at her.

Lucy's eyes shot open to look at Gajeel's crimson orbs that reflected the fire and passion in her own gaze. "Mm-hmm!" she mumbled, finally pushing back against him to meet each thrust and listening to him gasp and growl while he teetered on the edge of his climax. She felt him harden just a little when his pace faltered, then his balls drew up and he froze after pushing into her mouth one last time, roaring loudly when he finally crested that peak. His shaft pulsed violently against her tongue as shot after shot of his hot liquid filled her mouth, and his hips flexed in quick, shuddering jabs in time with each forceful pulse. She moaned lightly when she tasted it, the tangy and salty mixture like a condensed version of Gajeel's essence—metallic with a hint of cinnamon even here—and greedily swallowed it down before licking and sucking every trace of his orgasm from him. She paid special attention to his piercings, and the corners of her mouth turned up when he moaned and shivered with each pass of her tongue over them.

Gajeel's fingers slowly sifted through Lucy's hair, his body shaking and more than ready to collapse into a gelatinous mass right there, while she continued lavishing him with attention. Soft kisses, playful little nips on his still-sensitive skin, her hands moving slowly over every inch of his legs, hips, and torso, all while she made her way back up to finally press one last kiss in the center of his chest. With a smirk, Gajeel pulled her head up and captured her swollen lips with his while one hand moved slowly down the length of her spine. Her hands glided up his bare chest and wrapped around his neck, and the pair carefully laid back down on the bed while his tongue gently dipped into her mouth. He pushed under her shirt to feel the soft skin of her waist, smirking again when she lightly moaned into the kiss.

Lucy carefully pulled away, her eyes slowly opening to see Gajeel's half-lidded gaze staring back at her. His hands still lightly ran over her waist, back, and down to the rounded cheeks of her rear, and she couldn't help but giggle slightly at just how lazily he was moving right then. The roughness he'd had while her lips were on his shaft had completely disappeared, and Lucy was finally seeing what an utterly relaxed Gajeel looked like while he was conscious. "So," she whispered, moving her hands to his hair and letting the surprisingly soft tresses thread through her fingers, "You like your bitches to swallow, huh?"

Gajeel chuckled and raised an eyebrow at her. "Makes cleanup a hell of a lot easier," he replied with a smirk.

"Well, I guess you'll have to return the favor sometime." Lucy smiled and pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss, then pulled away and leaned down to grab the blanket from the foot of the bed. "For now, I think we should go back to sleep. You said we get to sleep in today." After a moment, she looked over at Gajeel and added, "You should probably put your pants back on, otherwise you might try fucking me in your sleep."

"I'm not moving, Bunny Girl," Gajeel grumbled, "You want them back on, do it yourself."

Lucy sighed and shook her head, then gave up and laid her head on his chest while his arms wrapped around her. "If I wake up to your dick inside of me, I'm cutting it off and wearing it as a necklace."

"You leave my dick the hell alone, psycho," Gajeel muttered, nestling his nose in her hair and sighing. "Fuck, you smell good."

Lucy giggled and rolled her eyes, wrapping her arm around him and letting her fingers dance lightly over his hip. "You still never told me what I smell like, you know," she whispered while her eyes closed.

Gajeel shrugged and whispered, "Guess you'll never know. I'm taking that shit to the grave."

"Ass," Lucy whispered with a smile, listening to Gajeel's soft and sleepy chuckle while the two slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Gajeel woke up a few hours later to a light golden glow filling the hotel room and his communications lacrima going off on the nightstand. A quick glance at the clock told him it was nearing noon, and he turned to see Lucy meditating on the other bed, already showered and dressed for the day. He grabbed a shirt and threw his pants back on, then picked up the lacrima and answered it with a scowl only to see Master Jose's face looking impassively back at him. "Master," Gajeel said with a nod.<p>

"Are you alone?" Jose asked.

"No, but she's meditating," Gajeel answered, turning the lacrima so Jose could see the golden aura surrounding Lucy along with the sweeping golden tendrils that had doubled since he first saw her doing this. Once he turned it back to face him, Gajeel added, "She's in a trance when she does that. Can't hear a damn thing."

Jose hummed in thought while he tried to sort out what he needed to say. He'd had everything in order before deciding to call his Dragon Slayer, but just seeing the sheer amount of power the young Celestial mage was letting out had momentarily scrambled his brain. "Is that all of her magic?"

Gajeel looked over at Lucy for a moment, giving her a critical eye while he gauged how much magic she was letting out. "Almost," he said, "When she's nearly done she pulls all of it out into her hands."

"How long can she hold it?"

"An hour, sometimes two," Gajeel said.

Jose grinned and nodded, then said, "She's progressing well then. Tell me about this mission you did."

"What do you wanna know?" Gajeel asked, leaning back against the headboard and resting his head on his arm. "I'm sure the client already called."

"He did," Jose said. "And he apologized for mistreating you two, more specifically for offending her."

Gajeel chuckled darkly and nodded. "She used one spirit to find out what the monsters were—gave us everything we needed to know from how they fought to their weaknesses. Turns out, if they hear a lullaby, they pass out. She called out another spirit with a harp to play one, then another to throw me across the field to herd four of them up the hill."

"How many spirits can she summon at once?" Jose asked, looking away from the lacrima to take a few notes on the file for the mission and in Lucy's own personal file.

"Two so far. One silver and one gold. Last time she tried two golds she passed out," Gajeel answered. "They came out, but she couldn't hold them for long."

"Please continue."

"Her harp spirit played the song when they were close enough. They passed out, so Taurus and I killed them. We were making our way back to town when two more jumped out and took us one on one."

"I assume you killed yours with little issue?"

"Couple punctures to my shoulders when it snuck up," Gajeel said with a shrug, "It was down in a few minutes."

"And hers?"

"She used two different gold keys on it. I didn't see what the first one did, but the second had chains wrapping around its ribs and neck after it bit her."

Jose frowned and said, "So, she was hurt again…"

"Yeah, from the things sneaking up on us. They can mask their scent, so I couldn't even tell they were there. By the time I was done with my fight, she was on the thing's back and choking it with her whip, and her spirit was on the side doing the same thing," Gajeel answered, refusing to let Jose see any form of emotion from him concerning defending the little blonde. "Apparently its tooth broke off in her arm, so she ripped it out and stabbed the thing in the head. When it fell to the ground she ripped out a part of its brain and just dropped it like it was nothing."

"So, her fighting skills have increased then," Jose said. "How does she hold up in a regular fight?"

"Surprisingly well, even before I started her training," Gajeel answered honestly, glancing over to see Lucy had started pulling her magic into the orbs over her hands. "First fight she came out with a broken nose and cheek, but she got a few solid hits on me. Definitely doesn't take shit from anyone. She slammed a guy's head into the bar last night for trying to take her home with him."

"What was the mayor apologizing for, Gajeel?"

"Talking shit about the guild," Gajeel answered with a sneer. "She put him in his place when he said she shouldn't have been out there since she got hurt."

Jose sighed and shook his head when he saw the smirk on Gajeel's face. "What did she say?"

"Something about him jerking off and eating doughnuts while we're doing all the work," Gajeel said, "Said he needed to 'shut the fuck up and keep his goddamn opinions to himself' if he doesn't like the mages we send, since our guild doesn't let the weak to join. Shit like that."

"Well, it seems her loyalty lies with us after all," Jose said with a wide grin. "And have you gained her trust?"

Gajeel looked back over to see the orbs completely full over Lucy's hands, then turned the lacrima so Master Jose could see. "That's all of her magic so far. It's more than what she had yesterday, so she might not be able to hold it for a whole hour yet." While he was letting the guildmaster watch Lucy meditating, Gajeel had to figure out just what he was going to say. He knew that he had gained Lucy's trust to a point, since he'd helped her when she needed someone the most, but he also knew that Lucy had gained a portion of his trust. He'd told her things that he had never told anyone else before—mostly about Metallicana—and he knew deep down that she wouldn't betray the trust he put in her over something as personal as his own adopted father. Did she trust him with her life? Maybe, but he couldn't be sure since the biggest priority of their guild is everyone for themselves. He'd made sure she understood that before the mission even started, and there didn't seem to be anything more he could do concerning that. Finally, Gajeel turned the lacrima back to himself and saw the wide grin on Master Jose's face from watching her meditate. "Yeah, she trusts me. Not sure how much, but it's there."

"How can you be sure?" Jose asked.

Gajeel shrugged, deciding to stretch the truth a little, and said, "Dragon Slayer thing. My nose doesn't lie." Part of it was true. Gajeel's nose told him based on her emotions that she trusted him: when she was wrapped in his arms that first night in the cave, she had been calm; every time they slept next to each other, she relaxed more than usual; she never looked at him as someone to be afraid of, even when he was beating her into the ground. If Lucy didn't trust him, he knew she would never have kissed him in the first place.

"Very well," Jose said. They were silent for a minute, then he said, "Oh, can you tell me why there were two dead bodies in the mountains that a pair of hikers found?"

"There's animals in the mountains," Gajeel said plainly. "Any number of things could have happened to them."

"That's what I thought as well," Jose said with a nod and a small smirk. "The only problem is that one man's throat was torn out, but the wound was too small to be an animal that would do something like that, and the other man's chest was ripped open with a knife of some sort and his neck was broken. Animals don't do that, Gajeel."

"Guess they don't," Gajeel said. "There was another guy in the mountains at the same time we were, maybe it was him. Saw him passing by the cave we were staying in around dawn." Gajeel had told Lucy he wouldn't tell Master Jose about what happened that night, unless someone else told him about it—and since the guild master was more concerned with keeping any random killings under wraps, Gajeel would just skirt around the issue. _I've got her trust,_ he thought, _She's trusting me not to tell him about what they tried to do to her. What she did to them._

"Someone else?" Jose asked with a grin. "Well, I do hope they find whoever this other man is so he can be brought to justice."

Gajeel smirked and nodded. When he saw a faint wobble of the light in the room, he glanced over to see the first signs that Lucy was done meditating. "She's almost done, Master. Anything else?"

"No," Jose said, "Keep a low profile, just in case. She doesn't need to know I called. When will you be back?"

"It'll take us a week to get through the mountains, so two more weeks tops. Depends on what else I need to train her on," Gajeel answered. He got a swift nod from the guild master, then shut off the lacrima and set it on the nightstand. "Bunny, I'm hopping in the shower," he said just in case she was already able to hear him, then grabbed fresh clothes and walked into the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Lucy and Gajeel were already two days into the mountains, and they had set up camp at the base of one for the night. When he had finally asked why Lucy always slept outside when they had a tent and she usually had no problem sleeping next to him, she simply said that she loved being able to see the stars before she closed her eyes. Just like every other night that they were out in the wilderness, Lucy had a nightmare. It was the same every time: the three men would surround her and chase her through the woods, and when she would try to fight back like she had done that night, her body refused to move. She was taken to the ground and beaten senseless, then the men would take their turns using her body any way they wanted to. Instead of screaming out when she woke up, Lucy threw a hand over her mouth to make sure Gajeel couldn't hear her crying again. She was shaking terribly, and every rustle of the bushes around her from the light breeze made her think someone was going to come after her.<p>

She held her hand tightly over her mouth and looked up at the stars while tears poured down her face. The stars always gave her comfort when she needed it, but a bitter cold had seeped into her bones, chilling her from the inside out at the thought of being afraid any time she was alone in the woods. She didn't want to depend on anyone, and though her body was screaming at her to go and take comfort in the tent with Gajeel, she couldn't let herself fall into that habit. The relationship she had with him needed to stay on a purely physical level, even though after that morning she had hardly touched him, and it couldn't stay that way if she went to him with her problems any time one popped up. That was something you did with the man you were dating, not the guy you were going to screw whenever either of you needed to get it out of your system. Gajeel would never be the one that Lucy called when she needed someone to talk to, someone to hold her when she was upset. They just couldn't get along for more than an hour at best, and she doubted it would ever change. He still thoroughly enjoyed beating the shit out of her when they were sparring, most likely taking out his agitation from her snarky attitude on her, but even then he was using it as a form of training. _Gajeel was ordered to do this,_ Lucy reminded herself, _He has to train me; otherwise, we wouldn't be here._

She rolled onto her side and faced the tent, then closed her eyes and tried to force herself to fall back asleep even with her never-ending stream of tears. Every noise she heard had her flinching and clenching her eyes tighter, pulling her blanket up to her head in the hopes of blocking everything out. Her keys were gripped tightly in her hand and held to her chest as if they were a shield that could protect her from the horrors of the world. Lucy's mind, even while awake, whirled with the images from her nightmare, and she wasn't even aware of the fact that she was openly sobbing.

Gajeel had been sitting just inside the tent listening to her while she tried to fall back asleep. It was almost as if he was subconsciously aware of every noise she made or the beating of her heart while he slept, because as soon as she woke up and clamped a hand over her mouth he was sitting up and listening intently. Her tears didn't die down, even when she had rolled over and closed her eyes again, but it seemed as though she was trying to force herself to move past whatever was upsetting her. When he heard the first whimper from her, Gajeel silently opened the tent and watched her, wondering if he should just drag her back into the tent like he'd done before. He saw her flinch at the slightest noise, noticed how her whole body shook, and heard the faint jingling of her keys against her chest. When that first heartrending sob ripped out of her, he couldn't even begin to understand why it had torn him up inside; he was completely stunned by the fact that everything inside of him was trying to pull him over to the young blonde, to give her comfort when she needed it.

Gajeel ran a hand through his hair, not knowing what he should do. Metallicana had always told him that he should help those in need, especially when they had showed him the same kindness. Since the dragon had left, Gajeel had strayed from that path and he knew it. He'd become more vicious, less inclined to care about those around him. Sure, he'd never been a happy rainbow with sunshine and puppies in anyone's eyes to begin with, and being raised by the rough and tough iron dragon had only cemented that same calloused demeanor deep within him. The problem was that with the blonde his memories of what was supposed to be good in life seemed to surface. He felt a little more relaxed around her, unless she was in the middle of a bitch-fest, and he really didn't know what to make of it. He wanted to sneer and turn away, closing himself in the tent and plugging his ears and nose so he couldn't hear her or smell her tears. He wanted to do it so badly, it hurt. He forced himself to turn away, to look at the bedroll he'd been sleeping semi-peacefully in before she'd woken up.

"I don't want to see it anymore," Lucy whispered to herself. "Just go away… Please go away…" She brought her knees to her chest, and completely forgot about where she was. As far as she was concerned, she was alone like always. In her room, in the woods, in a cave. It didn't really matter where, because no one was there for her. She had never had such vivid and horrendous nightmares, never felt as weak in all her life as she did in those dreams. Lucy held herself tighter to try and bring some semblance of warmth back into herself, wishing she was stronger so she would never have to feel this way again. She tensed and screamed when a hand touched her shoulder, her limbs flailing wildly while she tried to pull away from whoever was trying to hurt her. "Go away!" she yelled, her vision blurred by tears and a curtain of her blonde hair falling in her face.

"Bunny, it's me," Gajeel said softly, placing his other hand on the opposite shoulder and holding her in place. She stopped fighting almost immediately, but it wasn't in recognition. She gave up. She cried and cried and Gajeel had no clue what he could do to help her. He pushed her hair out of her face and saw the streaks of tears everywhere, how puffy and red her eyes were while she sobbed. With a sigh, he carefully picked her up and carried her into the tent, then laid her down on the bedroll before he went to get her bag.

Lucy curled up on her side once she was set down, and she felt like she was holding herself together with just the pressure of her arms across her stomach. A thud and a rustling noise sounded near her, and Lucy started to tremble while she waited to see what would happen to her.

Gajeel ran a hand over his face and glared at the crying girl for only a second before it faltered. He carefully sat down next to her and grabbed her hands with his, forcing her to loosen her grip on her keys and gently laying them to the side. "Bunny Girl," Gajeel whispered, running his thumbs over her hands. "Talk to me."

Lucy whimpered again when she heard his voice, but she shook her head to get rid of the figment her mind had created. She knew Gajeel could be sweet sometimes, but he wouldn't always be there to help her. She needed to remember that.

"Come on, Bunny," he said more insistently. "Talk to me."

"Wh-Why?" Lucy whispered.

"Because I want to help," he said softly. "Will you let me help you?" When she refused to answer him, Gajeel let her hands go and pulled her into his lap, with her body curled up sideways against him. "You help me, and…" he whispered.

"And… I'll help you…" Lucy said slowly, turning to bury her face in Gajeel's chest.

"It's about that night, right?" he asked after a few minutes. When Lucy nodded, Gajeel sighed and said, "You know they're just dreams."

"Doesn't make them less scary," Lucy whispered. "I just keep thinking about it… And…" She let out a heavy sigh and shook her head. "And, I shouldn't be bothering you with it."

"Well, either I help you get over it so you'll actually sleep through the night without waking me up, or you handle it on your own and I don't get any sleep until we're back in town," Gajeel said with a smirk. "So, because I'm a selfish bastard, you're getting my help."

Lucy sniffled and lightly punched Gajeel in the stomach, only causing him to laugh a little. "You're a dick."

"Yeah, but you like it," Gajeel retorted half-heartedly. "Tell me what I can do to help."

"It's not something you'll want to do," Lucy said.

"Try me."

"Let me sleep in here with you?" she asked hesitantly. "I don't know why, but it helps keep the nightmares away."

Gajeel didn't know whether he should smile or roll his eyes and kick her out of the tent, so he just went with his instincts. He lightly squeezed her shoulders and asked, "Why would I not want that?"

Lucy's head shot up, and she quickly wiped her tears away while she stared at Gajeel in complete confusion. "Because it's a little more than just physical like you want."

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her and said, "I'm pretty sure your tits and snatch rubbing up against me in your sleep is a physical thing, Bunny Girl. Besides…" Gajeel paused and looked away toward the entrance of the tent when he felt his face heat up. "I prefer sleeping like that."

Lucy's lips curved up into a small smile when she saw a light blush on his cheeks. "I should have known," she whispered, "When I crawled on top of you a few days ago, you wrapped yourself around me and tried to go back to sleep."

Gajeel turned to glare at her and said, "Like I said, you smell good. Not my damn fault it's so fucking relaxing."

"Relaxing, huh?" Lucy said with a smirk and sniffle. "How relaxing?"

"Shut the fuck up, Bunny Girl," Gajeel growled while he laid them down and pulled the blanket over them. Before he could wrap his arms around her, he watched Lucy sit up and pull her shirt off before she threw it into the corner and laid back down. "Any particular reason you're stripping?" he asked with a smirk.

Lucy slid up until her face was right next to Gajeel's, then leaned in to press her lips to his. His hands immediately smoothed across her bare back, causing the corners of her mouth to lift in a small smile while she pulled back. "That's why," she whispered with a light blush. "I like how it feels when you touch me."

Gajeel smirked and said, "Take off more and I'll show you just how good I can make you feel."

"Watch it, cock stain," Lucy muttered while she pressed one last kiss to his lips and moved back down to lie on his chest. "I'm trying to sleep."

"You have got to be the most insane woman I've ever met in my life," Gajeel grumbled while he pulled her closer to him and nestled his nose in her hair.

"See? Smelling me. Fucking weirdo," Lucy whispered with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah... Go to sleep, Bunny," Gajeel muttered, squeezing her lightly. "I've got you."

* * *

><p>"Alright, Bunny Girl," Gajeel said once they had packed up their supplies and Virgo took everything back to the Spirit World, "Time for training."<p>

"Ugh," Lucy groaned and flopped onto the ground. "What torture am I going through today?"

Gajeel grinned and quickly grabbed her feet, then started dragging her across the ground, laughing while she squirmed and shouted every obscenity she knew at him. After a few minutes, he stopped and dropped her feet, then turned around and crossed his arms over his chest with a smug, toothy grin.

Lucy sat up and glared at him, smoothing her hair and clothes down. She carefully stood up and asked, "Well?"

Gajeel swept a hand out to the side, gesturing towards a wide lake with a waterfall on the opposite end. "Speed, then you get to try to summon two golds again," he said, kicking off his boots and removing his shirt before raising an eyebrow at her.

"Huh?" Lucy asked.

"Change of pace for you." Gajeel's eyes glinted with mischief while he continued. "Today, you have to outrun me."

"That's impossible!" Lucy bellowed, throwing her hands in the air in defeat. "You _always_ catch me!"

"Maybe not," Gajeel interjected. "I'll give you a small headstart to make it even, and you'll need to swim across the lake and get to the waterfall before I get to you."

"And if I fail?" Lucy asked with a grimace, kicking off her own boots. Gajeel had a tendency to punish her with more intense workouts when she didn't meet his standards for training, so she had no idea what he would come up with.

"Then I get to do whatever I want," Gajeel said while openly eying her curves. So far, the fiery little tease had kissed him, let him grab her ass, and given him a blowjob. He could tell there was something that was keeping her from just getting naked and humping, so he wasn't planning on pushing the issue, but it could definitely be used as a form of motivation for her.

Lucy sneered at him and took a step away, only to find herself pulled right into his hard and muscular chest. "And if I succeed for once?" she spat.

"Then you can do what you want," Gajeel answered. "I have a feeling you'll like your advantage here."

"Why's that?"

"Because iron tends to sink in water."

Lucy frowned at him, then said, "No magic."

Gajeel nodded with a wide grin and a raised brow, "Fine, but that goes for you, too."

Lucy nodded her agreement and pulled herself from his grasp, then turned around to face the lake. "How much of a headstart?"

"Ten seconds from the time you touch the water."

Lucy sighed and looked down at her jeans and t-shirt. The denim would weigh her down considerably in the water, and she really didn't feel like being in wet clothes. "Ugh, fine… Asshole," she muttered while walking over to where her boots were at. She turned away from him and pulled her shirt off over her head, revealing a lacy white bra that she was definitely regretting putting on that morning, then shimmied out of her pants. She fastened her belt around her hips, keeping her whip and keys with her and making sure they were fully secured, then blushed ten shades of red when she realized that her white lace panties were a thong, and she had bared her ass to the man behind her. "Fucking kill me now," Lucy whispered.

"Nah, I think I'll just enjoy the view," Gajeel commented, quickly adjusting his pants before she turned around. _Why? Why did she have to wear __**that**__?!_ Gajeel's breath stopped and his eyes widened when she turned around to face him with her hands on her hips, her embarrassment all but disappearing in the aftermath of his comment.

"Stop being a perv!" Lucy yelled, stomping her foot petulantly. When Gajeel's eyes dropped to her chest while her breasts bounced slightly, she looked down and then screeched while she covered her chest. "Goddamnit, Gajeel!"

"Why do you even wear that shit on missions?" Gajeel asked absently while his eyes roved over her hips and down her legs.

"Because it's comfy. Now stop staring!" Lucy yelled. When Gajeel's eyes finally moved back up to hers, she glared menacingly at him and started backing up. She smirked when he narrowed his eyes and said, "You said a headstart when I touch the water, right?"

"Yeah, ten seconds," Gajeel answered while he tensed in anticipation of her running away from him. After her quick nod, he watched her grin widely and start running full speed towards the lake. Just before she reached the water, Lucy bent down slightly and dove into the air, her arms stretching out in front of her and her body arching perfectly over the surface. He couldn't help the small bit of amazement when she finally landed in the water with hardly more than a few ripples, and it grew when he realized that she had used it against him since he had to wait ten seconds and she had landed almost ten feet from the shore. _Fuck._

Lucy didn't waste any time once she was under the water, and instantly started swimming with powerful kicks of her legs and her arms swooping in circles to help propel her forward. She stayed under the surface as long as her lungs would allow, and only let herself finally start ascending when they were burning with the need for oxygen. She broke free and gulped in large amounts of air, never breaking stride in her strokes that Aquarius had taught her, and grinned internally when she saw the waterfall coming closer and closer. With renewed determination, Lucy put on a burst of speed powered only by her increased strength from the last few weeks of training with Gajeel, and climbed out onto the bank just next to the waterfall. Not a moment later, Gajeel's head and shoulders surfaced just a few feet shy of her with a wicked grin on his face. Lucy was too busy twirling around and jumping for joy that she didn't notice the red eyes that stared at her from the water.

After what felt like an eternity of watching her jump around, Gajeel shouted, "Bunny Girl, you know I can see right through that, right?"

"Ack!" Lucy yelled, stopping herself mid-jump to cover her breasts and the apex of her thighs with her arms. Of course, Lucy never had the best of luck, so she ended up stumbling when she landed and fell back into the water. She spluttered and pushed the hair out of her eyes when she came back up, only to hear an almost silent snickering directly in front of her. Lucy tipped her head back to wet her hair and keep it away from her face, smirking when her chest pushed up to the surface and she heard Gajeel choking on something. "What's wrong?" Lucy asked innocently when she looked at him, "Everything alright?"

"Don't play dumb, Bunny Girl," Gajeel said with a smirk. "If you wanted me to see your tits so badly, you could've just told me."

"I thought my tits did nothing for you," Lucy shot back.

"Damn right they don't," Gajeel answered, even though they both knew her body did all kinds of wonderfully horrible things to him.

"Because you're gay," Lucy supplied with a grin to rival the growl he let out. "I feel like we've gone over this before…"

"Watch it," Gajeel warned, treading water and slowly circling around her. "I'll show you just how wrong you are."

"Riiiight," Lucy taunted. "I swear, I'm having déjà vu right now." She grinned deviously at him, then brought her hands up quickly and splashed him right in the face with a large wave. She laughed when he stared at her in shock for a moment, then squawked and dove under the water when he retaliated. She swam as quickly as possible over to the waterfall, and panicked when she felt a strong hand wrap around her ankle and pull her backwards.

Gajeel yanked on her leg and saw the amusement in her eyes when she surfaced again right next to him. Instead of pulling her closer, he splashed water in her face and dove under the water himself, swimming over to the waterfall with Lucy right behind him. There ended up being a small divot in the smooth platform of rocks behind the waterfall that was just large enough for him to fit into while he waited for her to come by.

Lucy was directly in front of the falls and couldn't find him anywhere. She surfaced and looked around the lake to see if she could spot him somewhere else, then screamed when a hand clamped over her mouth while another wound around her waist. She was quickly pulled through the pouring water and into a heavily muscled chest, and bit down on the hand that was keeping her from screaming out.

Gajeel winced and spun her around, then pinned her to the rock wall and growled at her. "Don't bite me again, Bunny Girl," he whispered while he glared at her.

Lucy smiled wickedly and said, "I beat you to the falls, so I get what I want. That was the deal, right?"

Gajeel shook his head and smirked at her. "Sorry, you beat me to the shore _next_ to the falls. I got here first."

Lucy was going to fight him on it, but she closed her mouth quickly with wide eyes when she realized he was right. "Shit," she muttered, earning a heated look from the Slayer and a pointed grin. "A deal's a deal," she said while never taking her eyes from his, "What do you want?"

Gajeel leaned in closer until his lips were hovering just over her ear, and felt a shudder run through her. With a smirk, he whispered, "I want… to tell you what you smell like."

"Wh-What?!" Lucy yelled, only to have his hand close over her mouth.

Gajeel winced and said, "Don't yell in my ear. I can hear you just fine." He paused and the corners of his mouth quirked up when she nodded, then he pulled his hand away and looked into her eyes. "You asked me to tell you what you smell like a while back. I want to tell you now."

"Why? I thought you said you were going to take it to the grave."

"Because I do," Gajeel said with a shrug. "I can tell that it's killing you, figured I'd help you out."

"Okay, so what do I smell like then?" she asked warily.

Gajeel leaned in and ran his nose lightly over her tanned skin, and inhaled. It wasn't that he needed to smell her again to answer her question, since her scent had been ingrained in his memory since he found it the day they met, but he always found it oddly soothing and wanted to take it in as much as possible. When he reached her ear, Gajeel's hands slid down to her waist and he whispered, "There's coconut from your shampoo, and vanilla from your soap. But, under that…" He paused and smirked while his nose slowly moved across her jaw to her other ear, taking another small whiff of her scent. "When it's just you… You smell delicious. Like sugar and almonds."

Lucy blushed ten shades of red, fighting the shudder that wanted to run through her. Instead her hands unconsciously slid up Gajeel's chest to grip his shoulders, and she breathily whispered, "Sugar and almonds? That sounds like a recipe for icing."

"It is," Gajeel said, taking the liberty to run his nose down her neck to her partially submerged collar bone. "Almond buttercream icing, actually." He chuckled when her breath hitched, definitely not a reaction he'd expected her to let slip, and took the opportunity to move a little closer.

"How… do you know that?" she asked, gasping when she felt his lips brushing over the pounding vein in her neck.

"I thought I smelled you in a bakery one time," Gajeel said, curious to see if she had changed her mind about keeping him at a distance. "Turns out, they were making icing."

Lucy giggled and sifted her fingers through Gajeel's wet raven locks, smiling when his breath shakily danced across her neck. "You know, I still fucking hate you, right?" she asked.

"Same here," Gajeel said while his lips ghosted up her neck to her ear. "But I told you before that you're hot as fuck, and seeing you in this—" He paused and slid a hand down her hip, his fingers pulling at the top of her panties, "Made it hard to ignore that."

"How hard?" Lucy purred, giggling again when Gajeel's chest pressed tightly to her and he sucked her earlobe into his mouth.

"I don't think you wanna know, Bunny Girl," Gajeel growled, the rumbling in his chest making her shiver.

Lucy roughly pulled his head back by the hair that was wound around her fingers, smirking when he growled at her. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you can't handle me," Gajeel answered with a smirk of his own.

"And what makes you so sure, you bucket of bolts?" Lucy shot back.

"Well, for one thin—" Gajeel's eyes widened when she forced his head to hers and felt her lips on his. Not one to question things while they were happening, his eyes fluttered closed and he pressed himself more firmly against her, his hands sliding down to her hips while he responded with equal fervor to each movement of hers. Her teeth nipped lightly at his lower lip, causing him to growl against her and force his tongue roughly into her mouth.

Lucy moaned when she tasted him, a mixture of metal and cinnamon that she remembered all too well, and her tongue glided greedily against his in a passionate tangle. Her hands moved from his scalp through his hair and down onto his shoulders again, and she slowly raised her legs to wrap around his hips. When he groaned and rocked his hips against her, Lucy pulled back from the kiss with a gasp and looked deeply into his lust-filled crimson orbs while he ground himself against her again. With a sultry smirk, Lucy dove back in for another searing kiss, rolling her hips against him every time he brushed over her clothed center.

Gajeel swallowed each and every moan the blonde let out, and groaned loudly when her chest slid against his. His hand moved up her stomach and lightly teased the underside of her bra-clad breasts before quickly moving around her and flicking the latch on her bra. He felt her moving her arms to take the bra off, then heard it land in a light, wet heap on the rocks behind her. She gasped and arched into his touched when his thumb carefully brushed over a newly exposed nipple, so Gajeel lowered his head to kiss and nip lightly against her neck.

"Gajeel," Lucy moaned, tilting her head to the side to give him better access and flexing her legs just a little to bring her hips more forcefully against his. "Mmm, so good."

Gajeel nipped at her collarbone as he slowly lifted more of her from the water, his other hand sweeping down her body to tightly grasp her hip while he pushed more insistently against her with a groan. Normally, he would have ripped the last shreds of her clothes off and plowed into her with reckless abandon until his lust was sated, but he still had to work with Lucy until her training was done, and he had no clue if she was going to let him touch her like this again.

Lucy's arms wound around Gajeel's shoulders, and her head fell back against the rock behind her while he pinched a nipple between his fingers, flicking another finger across it in time with his hips against her lace-covered center, and ripping a loud moan from her in the process. When he pushed her higher, forcing her breasts to leave the warmth of the water around them and her nipples to pucker under the sudden temperature change, Lucy's hips bucked against his when his closed his mouth over her unattended tip and roughly sucked on it. "Fuck," she moaned, tangling her hands in his hair and bringing him closer to her.

Gajeel's tongue swirled and flicked across the pebbled peak, then he dragged his teeth across it and groaned when she nearly screamed out his name. He smirked when her breathing turned ragged and heavy and one look up at her face showed him a light blush on her cheeks and probably the sexiest grin he'd ever seen while she panted and looked at him. When her hands pulled away from his head as he switched to her other breast, he didn't know what she was planning until he felt one of her hands sliding past his in the water by her hip. The lacy material covering that sweet aroma between her legs was violently ripped away by the blonde herself, then flung out of the water to land almost on top of her bra.

"I'm… I'm not… fucking you," Lucy panted, moaning when Gajeel's fingers slid up and down her slit.

"Why not?" Gajeel growled, biting down on the tender flesh of her breast a little too hard.

"Because I hate your goddamn guts!" Lucy moaned, rolling her hips to try and get him to play nice and stop teasing her.

"So do I, but I'm still willing to fuck you until you can't walk anymore," Gajeel said, pulling his face away from her chest to crash his lips onto hers again. Her tongue dove into his mouth, taking him by surprise when she dominated the kiss so fully. When she pulled away from him, he panted, "What will you let me do then?"

Lucy smirked and sucked his lower lip into her mouth. She let it go with a small pop when he groaned and said, "Tell me what I taste like… And maybe I'll change my mind."

"Shit, Bunny," Gajeel groaned, slamming his lips over hers again while his fingers teased her. He pressed his hand fully over her sex, using the heel of his hand to massage the bundle of nerves that had her tensing up while his fingers kept massaging her outer lips.

Lucy ripped her mouth away from his and pulled herself up onto the ledge of the rocks, her legs spread wide to accommodate Gajeel's broad shoulders, and she looked down at him hungrily while she pulled her belt off and carefully set it down with her undergarments. "Taste me," she moaned, her hands ghosting over the glistening golden curls just above her slit, "Please, Gajeel."

Gajeel's eyes honed in on the feast she had put in front of him, and he felt his mouth watering in response to it. He pressed his nose to one thigh, and inhaled as he moved higher and across her sex to the other thigh. "Mm," he moaned, lightly biting each of her thighs before looking back up at Lucy's flushed face with a grin, "Definitely sugar and almonds." He slowly leaned in, his lips barely brushing over her nether lips, and let his tongue glide up her slit in a sluggish stroke. Lucy's back arched, and a long moan fell from her lips, but Gajeel never broke away from her gaze. "You taste sweet, Bunny," he whispered with a smirk, "Sweeter than you smell."

Lucy blushed and bit her lip, never having experienced a man tell her just how she tasted. _Hell, most guys I've been with act like going down on a girl is cruel and unusual punishment,_ she thought. She moaned softly when she felt Gajeel's tongue gliding over every inch of her sex, and his hands slid lightly over her legs. Lucy gasped when she felt him circling her entrance, slowly lapping up the excess moisture that her body created, and then her eyes rolled back and her head dropped down with a thud.

"God, I was wrong," Gajeel rasped just before he closed his mouth over her lower lips and lightly sucked, moaning again right along with her. When he pulled back a little he smirked and said, "You're better than icing." With slow and carefully calculated strokes, Gajeel had Lucy writhing in no time, and he looked up to see her already glistening with sweat along with the beaded water from the lake and lightly panting between moans. Deciding to see just how much she would like, he nibbled on first one lip and then the other and flicked his tongue quickly across each when they were nestled between his teeth.

"Gajeel," Lucy moaned, sliding her hands up her body and firmly grasping her breasts, the mounds spilling over her dainty hands. Her back arched again and again, and one hand moved up to tangle in her own hair while she started panting harder with each swipe of his tongue against her.

One quick plunge between her folds and into her core had Gajeel groaning and pressing closer to her while his hands slid around to lightly hold onto her hips. "Bunny," he rasped, his lips brushing over her sex and his hot breath causing a shiver to crawl up her spine, "Fuck, I could eat you up all day."

Lucy was suddenly overwhelmed as her climax crashed through her violently; her whole body tensed and exploded into sensation with no warning whatsoever, and all she could do was yell out the name of the man that brought it out. He didn't give her any time to bask in that heavenly afterglow, and instead moving faster with only his tongue and lips causing her to get loud enough to rival the waterfall right next to them. She moaned over and over while his tongue plunged deeper, flicked across every sensitive area she possessed, even created small waves or rolls while buried inside of her weeping sex. The barbell that she'd felt that speared through his tongue was creating the most glorious sensation inside of her while she tightened around him, and she could even feel the piercings in his chin rubbing against her while he moved. She gasped and shuddered when he started moving a little faster, and when he felt her roll her hips to be closer to him, he moaned and pushed himself more firmly against her.

Gajeel moved up and pressed his lips lightly to her sensitive bundle, making her squirm even more. One hand glided back up and around her leg to brush his thumb over her hip, and he put the other hand to his mouth and quickly stuck two fingers into it before bringing them to her entrance. His hot breath danced across her moist center while those two fingers teased her, and once she was writhing he slowly pushed them into her. "Bunny, you're like a virgin down here," he groaned, marveling at just how tight her moist passage was as it gripped his fingers. All he could picture was how amazing it would feel to have her slick walls clamping down on his cock the way they were on his fingers.

Lucy moaned, tightening her hands on her breast and in her hair and tentatively rolling her hips when she felt Gajeel's fingers invading her. She gasped when his mouth closed over her clit, and couldn't help but push more forcefully against him when she felt the quick jolt of pleasure from his tongue against it.

Gajeel pulled back just enough to talk, his lips still brushing over her, and said, "That's it, Bunny. Let me see how much you like it." When she moaned again, he dove back in. His tongue flicked and swirled over her and his fingers started moving faster, curling and thrusting with reckless abandon while she got louder.

"Feels… So good!" Lucy moaned loudly. "Oh, Gajeel!" Her back arched when he found that wonderfully sweet spot right inside of her, and when it met the hard rock beneath her again she rolled her hips faster to meet each of his thrusts.

Gajeel smirked and moaned against her little nub, and the sound she made when his teeth lightly dragged over it was probably the most gratifying thing he'd ever heard. "How bad do you want my mouth on you?" he rasped, dragging his teeth over her thighs again and again.

"So bad, Gajeel," Lucy whimpered, panting loudly while she looked down at him. "Please… Ngh…" She rolled her hips again when his pace picked up, but she never looked away from him.

"Show me, Bunny," Gajeel growled, leaning up slightly to nibble on her hips while his fingers never slowed. When Lucy hesitated, he growled again and slammed his fingers into her quivering sex as far as they would go, then held them there while he quickly scissored them inside of her.

"Oh god…" Lucy screamed, her back arching again and her eyes going wide as saucers from the tension building in her body. "Gajeel… Please… Oh, fuck…"

After leaving a dark hickey on one hip, he growled again and pulled his hand back only a little before roughly pushing back in. She screamed each time his fingers were deep inside of her, so Gajeel kept going: pulling back only an inch and slamming back in forcefully, then circling or scissoring his fingers before starting all over. "Come on, little Bunny," he growled, dragging his teeth across her stomach to her other hip, "Show me how bad you want it." He smirked when both of her hands shot down to his head, tangling roughly into his hair before forcing him back down to her slippery folds. Once he felt Lucy's fingers in his hair, Gajeel moaned and his eyes fluttered closed while he feasted on her. His fingers pulled mostly out of her dripping sex, then spread her entrance wide open while his head moved down to lap up all of her juices. Her grip on his hair tightened, and her hips rolled against his mouth, so Gajeel added a finger and moved back up to tease her clit with light nips of his teeth and flicks of his tongue. It was absolute heaven as far as he was concerned, and he'd never tasted anything so wonderful in all his life. Her sugary almond scent was becoming stronger as she neared her second climax, and it almost made him lightheaded. Every breath he took, every flavor that burst across his tongue was uniquely Lucy's, and the groan he let out quickly turned into his own animalistic noises while he feasted on everything she had to offer.

"God, yes!" Lucy screamed when she felt his rumbling growl vibrate through his lips and right into her. A spark of pleasure ran through her, causing her hands to tighten in Gajeel's hair and pull him closer to her. "Again, Gajeel. Please…"

_She wants me to—._ Gajeel's pace quickened with his plunging fingers, his hand turning slightly and changing the angle of penetration again and again, and he didn't hold back anything—growling almost constantly like a wild beast and letting his inner dragon out for a little fun for once. Lucy's breathing changed dramatically, and he felt her tensing around him, so Gajeel pulled his hand back and dropped his mouth to her entrance. He violently plunged his tongue inside of her, circling it as quickly as possible and feeling her walls rippling in tandem with the strokes of his tongue and piercing, and let out another long growl that finally threw her into pure bliss.

Lucy screamed Gajeel's name again and again with each spasm in her sex around his slow lapping tongue, and her back would have bowed off the ground completely while she pulled him even closer if he hadn't wrapped both arms around her hips and waist to keep her still. He drew her orgasm out longer than she'd known possible by continuing those delicious vibrations between her legs, and the small portion of her back that had been able to arch up from her climax finally dropped down to the rock under her in utter exhaustion. Her body completely relaxed, and she smiled lazily while she panted and lightly dragged her nails across his scalp.

Gajeel smirked and licked every trace of Lucy's arousal from her and his fingers while he looked up into her smiling and sweaty face. Once he was done, Gajeel slowly pulled her back down into the water, making sure the rock didn't scratch her and pressed soft kisses up her stomach and between her breasts until she was back in her original position. Lucy smiled softly at him with her hands still in his hair, causing Gajeel to lean down and nuzzle her neck. "You have no clue how fucking sexy you are," he said with a libidinous grin.

"You're right," Lucy panted and tilted her head to the side to run her cheek along his, "But I'm pretty sure you broke me."

Gajeel chuckled and shook his head. "No, if you ever let me fuck you, _that's_ when I'll break you."

"Very tempting," Lucy purred, turning her head to the side and capturing his lips with hers. She giggled and pulled away to look into his eyes, then said, "You taste so strange now."

"Probably because you just came all over my mouth," Gajeel chuckled.

Lucy rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, but now…" She paused to openly lick his lips, smiling when she sucked his lower lip into her mouth for a moment. "Now, it's metal and cinnamon _plus_ icing."

"Metal and cinnamon, huh?" Gajeel asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Lucy bit her lip innocently and slowly nodded while she carefully traced over the exposed muscles of his abdomen down toward the band of his boxers. "Yeah," she whispered huskily and nodded, "It's the only time I've thought the taste of metal in my mouth was the best fucking thing in the world."

Gajeel smirked at her while he leaned in to kiss her again. "So, have I changed your mind, Bunny?" he whispered against her lips.

"I don't know," Lucy purred seductively while her hands carefully slid his boxers down his legs. She giggled when Gajeel moved to catch them, and threw them onto the rocks with her own undergarments. Slowly, Lucy slid her legs along up his until they were wrapped lightly around his hips, then she whispered, "Maybe I just want to so some sit-ups."

Gajeel's thumbs ghosted over her hips and he watched her eyes go wide when he carefully pressed his hips against hers and ground against her slit, letting each piercing in his shaft brush over her sensitive bundle. "I can stop if you want," he groaned as he pulled away before grinding against her again.

"Don't stop," Lucy whispered, her body still sensitive from her previous orgasm and instantly flooding with heat. Gajeel moved closer to her, pressing his chest tightly to hers and ripping another moan from her when her nipples brushed against him. She didn't know what to focus on: how her sex rippled with anticipatory pleasure while his piercings glided over it, the way his hands slid over her body as if he couldn't decide what to touch first, how wonderful it felt to be surrounded by him completely, or even how she couldn't get enough of holding onto his hair. Lucy watched Gajeel give her a devilish grin as his lips descended on hers, almost as if everything was in slow motion. His hands finally settled on her rear, and she felt him prodding her entrance, then his lips—those delectable and oh-so-edible lips of his finally touched hers while he slowly pushed into her.

They moaned in unison while Gajeel filled her in one slow stroke, and when he was fully sheathed in her sex it was almost too much for him to bear. The soft, tight passage he'd been dreaming of didn't even come close to the real thing. Her walls were already gripping him so tightly that he thought he might explode, and the resulting clench of her sex around him when she started to roll her hips had him shuddering and letting her lips go on a gasp. "Holy shit, Bunny," he rasped, planting his feet firmly against the only solid surface around them and creating small iron spikes that jutted out from his heels to anchor him to the rock.

Lucy giggled when Gajeel's eyes widened when she rolled her hips again, so she adjusted her grip on his hips with her legs and slowly lifted herself until only his head was nestled in her core. The way those piercings running through his shaft rubbed against her walls just from a single stroke had Lucy's body quivering in anticipation of what was to come. She leaned in and nibbled on his ear, then whispered, "Is that what I am?" She moaned when she slid back down over him, and when he was nestled deep within her, she added, "Your little Bunny?"

"Could be," Gajeel grunted, rocking his hips and smirking when her head fell back and she cried out. "You jump around like one."

"Mmm," Lucy moaned again when she started moving faster, "Then I guess I should keep true to my name."

Gajeel's hands slid from her backside to her hips and controlled each of her movements, forcing her to move slowly over him. "Don't think so, Bunny," Gajeel whispered as he pulled her fully onto him and kept himself in place. "I'm taking my time with you." He rocked his hips against her again, then leaned in and captured her lips in a searing kiss that was completely at odds with their slow pace. Long and slow strokes, filling her completely and retreating until he sat at her entrance, had Gajeel groaning over and over while he felt every flutter and quake of her sex around him while he moved. He let his hands roam freely over her, feeling just how slick her skin was from the water surrounding them giving everything an almost ethereal quality. Gajeel wrapped an arm around her waist when her back arched, smirking into their kiss when her fingers lightly dragged from his shoulders down to his chest and started massaging him as if she never wanted to forget what he felt like.

Lucy's hands roved over him in slow circles, taking in each flexing muscle and every bit of surprisingly soft skin she found. Every scar on his body, she knew had to be from battle—hard-won through grit, determination, and a refusal to fail—and she couldn't help but trace each of them. Her breath stuttered when he was planted firmly inside of her and started rocking his hips, and she felt renewed warmth spreading slowly through her body. "Gajeel," she moaned softly, sliding her hands up from his toned chest and mouthwatering shoulders to his neck and finally up to his cheeks. Something was different about how he was moving with her. She had expected it to be rough, with him plowing violently into her and forcing each and every moan and scream to rip out of her with an intensity she'd never known possible; that was how it had been when his face was nestled between her legs. Instead of that rough fuck she was expecting, Gajeel was slow and careful, almost reverent in the way he touched and caressed her. She'd been with men that took things slow, but they treated her like a fine piece of century-old china that needed to be carefully tended; however, even with how slowly Gajeel was moving, there was still a wild side to him that she could feel every time they were joined. He was a powerhouse, a mighty force to be reckoned with, and no matter how gentle he tried to be there would always be that latent surge of power that coursed through him into any action he performed. Lucy looked deeply into those slitted crimson eyes while he lowered her onto himself again. The only sounds around them were the gentle lapping of water on the rocks, the torrential waterfall just behind Gajeel, each of their soft pants or moans, and the pounding of Lucy's heart while she watched some emotion she couldn't name flicker across his face as he looked back at her. Lucy took the time to really look at him, allowing her fingers to openly explore each of the hard angles and piercings adorning his face. She decided that he was definitely handsome, in a rugged bad-boy, fearsome, and ferocious sense of the word. He was wild, just like a dragon, from the look in his eyes to his magic and even down to the way he moved with silent but deadly grace. She shuddered when his hand slowly ghosted up her side to cup her breast, and she smiled softly while her thumbs caressed his cheeks and she leaned in to press her lips to his.

Gajeel honestly had no clue what had come over either of them. Sure, he wanted to take his time because when her hot center was gripping every inch of him it was like heaven, but being with Lucy felt different somehow and he just couldn't place why. Originally he had planned on banging her brains out until she was a blubbering mess that couldn't walk for days, because honestly she had been teasing him for far too long. Once he'd seated himself as deeply as possible though, something had made him want to take his time. Maybe it was _because_ he was going slowly and letting himself really enjoy every moan and gasp he elicited from her, instead of the usual in-and-out fuck he was known for, that made it different. The way her skin slid against his, how her legs tightened around him to bring him just a little bit closer with each thrust, everything had him itching to hold her tightly and never let go. She was more than sexy in that moment when he looked at her: her hair still completely soaked with the tips of it floating lazily in the water by her shoulders, how the light mist from the waterfall surrounded her as if she was the only one who was safe from being obscured by it, the blush on her cheeks that matched the color of her lips, how her eyes seemed to see right through him while she ran her hands across his face. Lucy was sexy, there was no doubt about that, but Gajeel finally saw something else when he looked at her then. She was beautiful. He saw the small scars on her nose and cheek from when he'd beaten her that first day before they entered the mountains, and realized that they were already starting to fade as if nothing could mar her perfectly tanned skin for long. The small lift in the corners of her mouth when she smiled at him took his breath away; never in his life had someone looked at him like that, as if he was the only thing that mattered in that moment and they couldn't be happier about it. He couldn't even try to rationalize that she was thinking about something else, because her focus had been solely on him the entire time. It was confusing as hell, wondering why she would look at someone like _him_ that way, but he didn't dwell on it once her lips touched his.

While Gajeel was the one controlling just how slowly they were going, and Lucy felt her body slowly winding up with each careful thrust into her moistened folds, she was the one that gained the upper hand in their kiss. He had groaned and started moving against her mouth almost urgently, and Lucy pulled back only to see confusion and a little apprehension dancing in his eyes. Her thumbs caressed his cheeks again, and she gave him the same smile while she moved back in to kiss him. First his upper lip, then lower, then she dragged her lips lightly from one corner to the other while he relented and let her take the lead. His lips were barely parted, but Lucy pushed down the urge to plunge her tongue into his mouth and settled for gently kissing him. She hardly felt the mist of the waterfall or the rock that was behind her while she was in his embrace. There wasn't a single thing that could have pulled her away from that tender kiss; at least, that was what she'd thought until his hips angled slightly and his piercings brushed over a newly discovered sweet spot inside of her. Her body felt like it was on fire when he withdrew slightly and rubbed over it again, and Lucy's keening cry was only muffled for a moment before she ripped her mouth from his and let it loose.

Gajeel couldn't remember a time when he'd felt or seen anything as wonderful as Lucy crying out while her sex rippled around him. He groaned when he felt that spot that made her whimper and writhe, and started moving just a little faster over it only to hear her whisper his name. He lightly dragged his teeth down the column of her throat, growling once he found the small area on her neck that he knew would melt her like butter. His tongue darted out to draw large circles over it before he sucked the tender flesh into his mouth, causing her hips to buck against him. "Careful, Bunny," he rasped, his lips ghosting over the wonderfully dark mark he'd left on her, "You don't want me to lose control, do you?"

Lucy's head fell back against the rock, her hands sifting into his hair again to press his lips and teeth firmly against her throat, and she moaned, "Yes. Please." She heard his breath catch in his throat just before his hands moved to her hips and started guiding her more forcefully onto his impressive length.

Gajeel chuckled darkly, nipping at the other side of her neck while she started moaning louder and almost drowning out the crashing water of the falls. "You asked for it," he groaned before roughly sucking the pristine skin on her neck into his mouth.

The water around them started splashing violently as his picked up the pace even further, but Lucy really couldn't find it in her to care how much water went up her nose when she had this perfectly herculean morsel ripping her body to shreds with more pleasure than she'd ever experienced before. She didn't care how loud she was, or that something in Gajeel seemed to shift when he plunged into her soaking depths, because this was exactly what she'd wanted from him to begin with. The slow pace they had started with, the tender touches, and somewhat alarmingly deep connection she had felt with him while she looked into his eyes all faded into the background in the wake of the beast she had unleashed in him.

Before Lucy could even react, Gajeel slammed into her one more time and vaulted out of the water, roughly pinning her down on the smooth rocks before he started ravaging every inch of bare flesh his mouth could reach. His hips snapped relentlessly against her, and he didn't even try to stop the wild part of himself from surfacing once he heard her screaming his name. Her hands left his hair and slid down his shoulders, her hips lifting to meet each thrust with equal urgency. "You're so fucking tight," he growled against her neck, moaning loudly with her when her walls clamped down on him again.

Thrust after forceful thrust into her had Lucy screaming and digging her nails into Gajeel's shoulders, and every growl that rumbled through him echoed inside of her in a way that she could hardly describe. He nipped and sucked on her neck, slid his hands over her waist to tease her breasts, and pulled himself completely out of her sex before violently slamming back in to the hilt. "Fuck!" Lucy screamed, "That's it… Ohh, Gajeel!"

"Tell me how you want it, Bunny," Gajeel growled, nipping at her collar bone and trailing bites up to her lips. He angled his hips and pushed faster than before, snarling wildly when her nails dragged down his back.

Lucy's back arched and her eyes went wide when Gajeel plowed into her faster and faster. "H-Harder, Gajeel. God, fuck me harder!"

Gajeel's teeth were bared as he really let loose, pistoning in and out of her with reckless abandon and not caring in the slightest that she would have bruises where his fingers pressed into her flesh. Her screams spurred him on to new heights, the pain of her nails in his back dulling until all he was aware of was how tightly her sex was gripping him and the wild expression on her face. "That's right, Bunny," he growled, his voice sending erotic shivers down her spine that he could almost feel reverberating in his own. He grunted and growled again and again, his pointed teeth scraping roughly against her chest as he neared his own end. "Give me all you've got."

Lucy wrapped her legs around his snapping hips and used the training he'd given her to flip him onto his back. She sat up and slammed herself down onto him, then reached behind herself to grasp his thighs while she started to ride him. He pounded into her from below, his teeth bared in a snarl and his eyes wild and blazing with passion, his grip on her hips never loosening while he forced her to move faster. "Gajeel!" she screamed, teetering on the edge of her climax when she felt him pressing against her back wall again and again. "Oh fuck… Right there…"

Gajeel grinned wickedly while he watched her full breasts bouncing as she rode him. Her body was still slick from the water and arched back perfectly while she gripped his flexing thighs, but her sex was practically gushing as she sat so close to her orgasm. He knew right then that he was right earlier: she was beautiful. He could hardly hold himself at bay, but he needed to know what she felt like while she crested that peak. His pace faltered only once before he reined himself in, and he reached up with one hand to hook it around her neck and slam her lips onto his. His tongue dove into her mouth, and he tasted a small bit of her blood while it battled with hers. They were moving frantically against one another with no inhibitions, only reveling in the feel of their skin gliding against each other as their bodies continued to tighten. Just when he couldn't take it anymore and plunged into her with one more powerful thrust, she broke. He roared as he spilled himself deep within her spasming sex, marveling at how her scream of his name could rival his own roar, and held her firmly in place while her body sucked every last bit of his seed further into her.

Lucy collapsed once the tension in her body evaporated, her head lying heavily on Gajeel's chest. She whimpered and panted while her body was wracked with post-coital tremors, and when Gajeel's hands finally slid up her back from her hips, she couldn't control how her back arched under his touch making him moan softly. Her hair was lying over her eyes, but she wasn't able to find it in herself to move it so she could see him. There was no way for Lucy to tell the difference between the water and sweat on him when her hands finally started working enough to glide along his chest, but it didn't matter. His metal and cinnamon scent filled her nostrils with each short breath she took, and all she could hear was the thundering beating of his heart against his chest.

Gajeel listened to every little noise and mewl that accompanied Lucy's still tremulous quakes in the aftermath of her orgasm, and found a smug grin on his face when he realized she was smiling. His hands absently smoothed over her back while he tried to get his breathing back to normal. It was the first time he could remember letting loose with a woman, because there weren't many chicks that could honestly handle the kind of punishment he dealt out when the wilder side of him surfaced. There weren't many times he'd come even remotely close to doing it, because just a bite from him usually had the chick he was with either bitching at him or melting on the spot and unable to handle anything else. Lucy on the other hand wanted it all, she wanted him to lose control with her, to make her scream and beg, and for his hands and teeth to dig into her. She took everything he dished out and still wanted more if the way she'd rolled him over and started fucking his brains out was any indication. Her scent permeated the thick mist of the waterfall, and it nearly lulled him into a deep sense of relaxation. Honestly, if he was a romantic, this would have been the perfect place to take someone he cared about: the lake and waterfall itself was serene and a perfect picture of the wonders of nature, the intimate scenery behind the fall itself where you could barely see through the cascading flow of water into the clearing just outside. Hell, even without being a romantic or sappy person in general, Gajeel was able to appreciate just how perfect it was to be where he was; not only surrounded by nature—something he'd come to appreciate more based on Metallicana's teachings—but lying beneath a beautiful blonde that had somehow rocked his world in the sack.

Lucy hummed softly when Gajeel's fingers pushed the hair from her eyes, and she slowly turned to look up at the cocky, yet lazy, grin and fully sated eyes that were watching her every move. "You broke me," she whispered with a smirk, "I'm sure of it now."

Gajeel chuckled and withdrew himself carefully, fully enjoying the way Lucy didn't even try to hide how she moaned when he moved, while he rolled onto his side and kept her nestled in his arms. "Told you I would, Bunny," he whispered. "That's what you get for letting me lose control with you."

"Maybe I like it," Lucy whispered back. "That was by far the best fuck I've ever had. You've restored my faith in humanity, Gajeel."

"Huh?" Gajeel asked while raising an eyebrow at her.

Lucy giggled and said, "I told you before we left town, I haven't found a guy yet that can come close to pleasing me. Apparently, I've been looking in the wrong places. Maybe now I won't have to get myself off after fucking someone."

"That's just sad, Bunny Girl," Gajeel retorted. "Please tell me you're kidding."

Lucy shook her head sadly and propped herself up on her elbow. "You don't know the half of it. Find a guy, take him home, and he's either _severely_ lacking in size or ability. Once he's out the door, I'm sprawled out on the bed finishing the job he either didn't start to begin with or couldn't finish."

"Damn," Gajeel muttered, closing his eyes when he felt her fingers dancing along his abs while she traced the ridges of his muscles. "You need to get off, you come to me. Trust me, I'm _more_ than happy to get the job done."

"Oh, yeah?" Lucy asked with a smirk, blushing lightly when his fingers mimicked hers across her back and shoulders, "And why might that be?"

Gajeel's eyes peeked open to look at her, and he had an answering smirk as he said, "Because watching you get off is probably one of the hottest things I've ever seen."

Lucy rolled her eyes and leaned in to softly kiss the piercings in his chin. "I figured it was just the guild's motto rubbing off on you. 'Get the job done,' right?"

Gajeel chuckled and shook his head at her. "Nah, but I think it might be a gift to the rest of the world. Maybe you won't be so damn bitchy if you're getting a good fuck."

Lucy sighed and pinched Gajeel's side, smiling sweetly when he growled and glared at her. "Gajeel, you might be a beast in the sack, but I don't think your dick has the power to change someone's personality. Are you going to stop being an asshole just because I'll be fucking you?"

"Damn," Gajeel laughed, "Well, I tried… Sorry universe, she's not fucking changing."

Lucy laughed right along with him and leaned down to press one last kiss to his lips before she wiggled out of his arms and slid into the water.

"Where do you think you're going?" Gajeel asked. "Plan on getting in touch with nature by running around naked as hell?"

Lucy giggled and shook her head while she bobbed up and down in the water. "No, I'm planning on cleaning myself up before I put my clothes back on. I'm all for fucking you, but I don't need your cum sticking to my legs."

Gajeel's eyes widened and he dropped his head to the ground with a grimace. _How the fuck did I not think about that?! _"Please tell me—"

Lucy rolled her eyes and huffed. "Already got it covered, dumbass. Do you really think I'd let your dick anywhere near me if I wasn't on the pill?"

"Thank god…" Gajeel whispered. "He'd fucking _kill_ me if I knocked someone up…"

"Who?" Lucy asked, pulling herself back up onto the rock once she was clean and lying back down next to Gajeel.

"That damn iron gecko," Gajeel grimaced. _Yeah, I'd be a small bloody speck on the bottom of his foot if I got someone pregnant without being her mate._

Lucy laughed and shook her head. "You mean your dragon?" When Gajeel nodded and stared at the rocks above them in a slight daze, she asked, "Why would he kill you?"

"Can't tell you that," Gajeel answered. He looked over at Lucy to see her frowning and rolled his eyes with a sigh. "It's a Slayer thing, that's all I can say. Trust me, you don't wanna know."

After a moment, and realizing he wasn't going to say anything more on the subject, Lucy sighed and nodded. "Fine, you won't say. It's a secret Dragon Slayer code or something."

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><p><strong>So, super long chapter! Over 22k! Honestly, these chapters just keep getting longer and longer, but the lake scene itself was <strong>_**OVER 9,000**_** words… -.- That just happened.**

**Lots of things happened for our little love/hate birds: Sleeping and cuddling, Lucy teasing Gajeel, drinking and kissing, a little morning fun-time, talking with Master Jose, Lucy's nightmare and a sweetheart Gajeel, and (of course) all that fun stuff at the lake! (In my mind, it will forever be known as "Lemon Lake"… Just sayin')**

**What did you guys think? Review, Follow, Favorite! I love you guys!~~GemNika.**

~.~

Side note: I have **not** forgotten about _He Might Be the One_ or _The Shackled Rune_.

-_He Might Be the One _is on its last chapter, and I've been fighting with a small sense of writer's block for the epilogue. I know a few of the things I'd like to put in there, but I can't seem to figure out how I want to write them out. I can say that I've started fiddling with it from time to time, but there's only one truly concrete scene that's written for it. Everything else that's in that document is just kind of there in the hopes that it will inspire something truly amazing to finish the story.

-_The Shackled Rune_ is nowhere near being complete. I've got a few ideas for what I'd like to happen in the next part of it, but it's a matter of segueing into that without writing a random filler chapter. Don't worry, there will be much more to come for that particular story.

To be completely honest, I'm so in love with writing this story that I've kind of neglected the other two, and I'd like to apologize to the fans of those stories for leaving you hanging like that. I love how enthusiastic you all are over the things I write (you have no idea how much your reviews make me smile when they show up in my email), and I hope to keep you entertained with many more stories in the future. So, a huge shout-out to each and every one of you that have read and enjoyed any of my stories.

If you have any suggestions of things you'd like to see in either the BixLu or the FreLu, then feel free to send me a PM (not a review on this chapter, please) and let me know. I love hearing feedback and ideas from you all, and maybe there's something I just haven't thought of that would be perfect for the story!


	5. His Other Side

**A/N: Thank you so much for all of the wonderful reviews! I'm glad you all enjoyed their time at Lemon Lake… I know I did. Be prepared for laughter, some tissues, and a cold shower…**

_Also, I'm apologizing now for any mistakes in this chapter. I've read through it and changed things around so much that I just can't do it again. It's getting posted as is, so I hope you can still enjoy it!  
><em>

**(I don't own Fairy Tail, otherwise what I'm writing wouldn't be **_**fan**_**fiction… Just saying…)**

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><p><em>Lucy laughed and shook her head. "You mean your dragon?" When Gajeel nodded and stared at the rocks above them in a slight daze, she asked, "Why would he kill you?"<em>

"_Can't tell you that," Gajeel answered. He looked over at Lucy to see her frowning and rolled his eyes with a sigh. "It's a Slayer thing, that's all I can say. Trust me, you don't wanna know."_

_After a moment, and realizing he wasn't going to say anything more on the subject, Lucy sighed and nodded. "Fine, you won't say. It's a secret Dragon Slayer code or something." _

~.~

They sat in silence for a long while, with Lucy's head lying on Gajeel's chest and looking out through the waterfall while he kept absently rubbing soothing circles over her back and had his nose nestled in her hair. "Gajeel," Lucy whispered with a smirk.

"Hm?" Gajeel grumbled.

"You know I can practically _hear_ you thinking, right?" Lucy slowly lifted her head to see the Slayer frowning and staring at the rock ceiling above them. When he didn't answer her, just continued rubbing his hand over her skin, Lucy sighed and roughly pinched his nose shut.

"I can still breathe through my mouth, Bun—"

Lucy giggled, throwing one leg over his hips, and used her free hand to clamp down on his mouth. "What was that?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Gajeel glared at her, not willing to accept that she'd actually gotten one up on him. Instead of using his hands, because he was perfectly content holding her hips, Gajeel snaked his tongue out and gave her hand a long lick in the hopes she would let go before he really needed the air.

"Hm," Lucy hummed, "You know, I think it was better when you were between my legs. Try again." She laughed when Gajeel's eyes widened, clearly having caught him off guard by her comment, and her laughter only increased when he tried to yell at her.

Gajeel growled and glared at her again, finally deciding to get her back. His grip on her hips tightened, and he roughly ground her slit against his already hardening member. Honestly, just the sight of her completely naked in his lap had him standing at attention, but when her body shook from her laughter it took everything in his power not to just flip her over right then. He watched with amusement as her laughter died down instantly and turned into a breathy moan, and her grip on his mouth and nose loosened enough for him to breathe.

Lucy looked down at Gajeel with fire in her veins from just the single movement, and saw his head tilting back just a little to pull the side of her hand in between his teeth. He ground her against himself again while he bit down on her hand, causing Lucy's head to fall back and another moan to spill from her. When he pulled back, she angled her hips slightly, causing Gajeel to slowly fill her when he pushed her hips down again. Gajeel's mouth was still on her hand, and the vibrations from his groan while he entered her seemed to fly through her body and pulse into each and every nerve, lighting her up over and over.

Gajeel dropped Lucy's hand, sliding his own from her hips around to her backside and firmly squeezing when she started to slowly ride him. "Remind me to bite you more often," he groaned, rocking his hips every time they were fully joined.

"I think I can do that," Lucy moaned with a smirk as she lowered her head to capture his lips with hers.

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><p>"Bunny Girl, I'm gonna beat your ass if you don't get your shit together!" Gajeel shouted, crouching low with his arms in a defensive position. "Seriously, you're not even trying."<p>

"That's because we spent a whole month working on everything _but_ offense!" Lucy bellowed, snapping her whip off to the side in her frustration and glaring at the metallic scales covering her trainer.

"Right, and for the next week we're working on offense," Gajeel countered. "What's the issue?!"

"You taught me how to grapple, dodge, block… everything but how to initiate an attack. I can counter what you throw at me, but me coming at you is completely different!"

"Bunny—" Gajeel sighed. _It's the first damn day of this, of course she doesn't really know what to do yet._ Gajeel had wanted to see what she would do when she was directed to attack him, which was why he'd activated his scales—he really didn't feel like having lash marks all over from that damn whip of hers. Instead of attacking, Lucy had tried to get him to attack her again and again so that she could counter his own movements. That wasn't the point of the lesson; the point was for _her_ to make the first move.

"—Not to mention the fact that I don't use my magic as often as—"

"Bunny Gi—" Gajeel growled. Of course he wasn't letting her use her magic just yet. She needed to learn how to attack an enemy before her spirits were brought into the mix. Gajeel had focused on teaching her how to defend herself or get out of any sort of hand-to-hand scenario because—just as she had pointed out before—her magic was based on tactics, not on brute force. Defense was what Gajeel had been taught first, so that's what he taught her. As far as he knew, that's just how it was done.

"—Keep saying 'what if you don't have your keys?' Well, let me tell you—"

"OI!" It was a completely plausible point. She used a holder type magic, which meant that if her keys were taken, she wouldn't have any magic to defend herself with. Or even if she was running low on magic, she needed to know how to handle any given situation without it. There were just too many factors to try and always rely on magic.

"—Fucking asshole! You're a sorry sack of shit if you think—"

"GODDAMNIT WOMAN!" Gajeel roared. He'd watched her completely lose focus while she started in on another bitching session in the middle of their sparring, pacing back and forth and wildly waving her hands around, only turning to face him on occasion and pointing at him accusingly as if she was scolding a child. _Well, another lesson I guess: Don't lose focus on your target._ Gajeel took a deep inhale, channeling his Dragon Slaying magic, then brought both fists to his mouth. "Iron Dragon's—"

Lucy smirked when she saw the attack Gajeel was planning on using. Just before the magic circle could appear, she shot her whip out and wrapped it around his wrists, tightly binding them together and breaking his concentration so the spell failed. She didn't hesitate once she saw that she'd caught him off guard, and roughly yanked back on the whip to drag him to the ground. Normally, he would have flown into the air, even though Gajeel was almost too heavy to fling when his scales weren't activated. With them active, the best she could manage is pulling him to the ground and closer to her. With a running start, Lucy rushed at the still shocked Slayer and pulled back her leg to kick his face as hard as she could manage, internally thanking him for adding an iron lining in the toes of her boots so she wouldn't break her foot trying to attack him.

A strong kick, much stronger than he'd anticipated, landed on the right side of Gajeel's jaw, quickly snapping his head to the side and causing him to roll a few feet away. He jumped up to his feet and saw that the whip had come undone from his wrists at some point.

Lucy smirked and snapped her whip again when Gajeel started circling around her with an evil glint in his eyes. "Don't lose focus on your target, Gajeel," she taunted, "Just because I'm bitching at you doesn't mean I'm not watching."

Gajeel chuckled, lunging at Lucy's waist and seeing her dodge to her right. He threw a hand to the ground and kicked his feet over his head, extending one leg into a pole at just the right time to catch her side and fling her back towards her left from the impact. Once she hit the ground, he pounced and straddled her hips with her hands pinned and stretched to their limits above her head. "That won't always work, Bunny Girl," Gajeel said with a dark grin. "Enemies don't let you rant, they go for the kill."

Lucy's eyes widened when Gajeel bared his teeth and dove down at her neck as if he would really tear her throat out. He stopped just as his teeth touched her skin, and she couldn't help the shiver that instantly ran through her, or how exciting it was to feel his sharper-than-normal teeth dragging lightly over her. Lucy's eyes closed and she stretched out her neck, moaning softly when she heard a low growl rumbling through his chest.

"Is this turning you on, Bunny?" Gajeel asked, letting his lips dance along the column of her throat. "You like it when I'm just a bite from killing you?"

Lucy gasped when she felt the cool metal of Gajeel's lips sliding up to her ear, and she shuddered when he pulled the dainty lobe between them and lightly sucked—barely letting his teeth graze it. She felt him moving her hands together, then pinning them with just one of his while the other slid slowly down her bare arm, wracking her body with a constant shiver when she felt a single claw dragging down it.

"Answer me, little Bunny," Gajeel growled. "Do. You. Like. It?"

Lucy moaned again when his hand ghosted over her breast, barely brushing over the nipple before moving down to her waist and then hip. "Yes," Lucy whimpered, panting softly when his lips glided over her cheek to hover just over hers.

"Do you _want_ me to kill you?" Gajeel asked with a smirk.

"No," Lucy whispered as she stared into the slitted and almost feral red eyes just above her. "I just wanted you on top of me." She finally lifted her head and closed the small gap between them, moaning softly when she realized his scales were still activated and he was finally letting her kiss him like this. While his lips were normally soft, yet strong, the addition of his scales made them wholly unrelenting. If it wasn't for Gajeel actually kissing her back, Lucy would have thought she was kissing an iron statue. Her tongue darted out and dragged across his lips, begging him to let her in, and she couldn't believe how enjoyable the increased metallic tinge to his scent and taste had become.

Gajeel slowly deactivated his scales, letting them fade until it was only his lips that were covered in metal. He pulled back once Lucy's tongue slid across his lips and said, "Sorry, Bunny. My teeth are too sharp that way. I'd probably cut your tongue off even if I tried to be careful."

"Well, we wouldn't want that," Lucy said with a smirk, "You said you'd rip it out, not cut it off."

"You know the lesson is for you to initiate an attack," he said softly. "I'm teaching you the same way he taught me, so just bear with me."

Lucy sighed and nodded. "But you haven't taught me what to do yet," she answered.

Gajeel chuckled and shook his head, rubbing his nose along hers and causing her to giggle. "That's because I want to see what you'll do first. I have to know where you're at before I can actually teach you anything. Otherwise, I might end up wasting time showing you something you already know. Make sense?"

"Yeah," Lucy said. "Now get back down here and ravage me." She paused for a moment when Gajeel chuckled, then added, "I'm horny as hell, and it's all your fault."

Gajeel leaned back in and captured her lips in a rare gentle caress. "Time to get back to work, Bunny Girl," he whispered. "I'll be all over you later on, but we've gotta focus."

Lucy pouted when Gajeel pulled away and helped her to her feet. "Fine, but I get to see you naked with your scales on tonight," she said, crossing her arms under her chest.

"You know you're fucking insane right?" Gajeel asked, shaking his head and laughing.

"Gajeel," Lucy said seriously, "Crazy people don't know that they're crazy. If they did, then they wouldn't be crazy. They would be normal people that were worried about being crazy."

"Right, but I called you insane," Gajeel pointed out while they circled each other again, "That puts you on a whole new level. You could be fully aware of being insane. Besides, only an insane person would put that much thought into whether or not crazy people know they're crazy… Just sayin'."

"But I'm not insane!"

"Psychotic?"

"No."

"Deranged," Gajeel supplied.

"No."

"A whack job."

"…"

"Bananas."

"… Urgh…"

"You've got a screw loose!"

"Goddamnit, Gajeel."

"I know! You're mad as a hatter!"

"I'm gonna make _you_ into a hat, Gajeel."

"Okay, okay," Gajeel said with a smirk, "You're not insane."

"Thank you," Lucy huffed, throwing her hands into the air.

"But, you're definitely not all there," Gajeel said with a wide grin, grunting when he was tackled to the ground by a very angry blonde woman.

* * *

><p>Lucy furiously wiped her hair from her face for the hundredth time that day, since the sky had decided to open up and try to drown her in the most ridiculous storm she'd ever been in. The ground was slick with mud that caked her boots, causing her less traction as time went on, and she was completely soaked from head to toe in a white tank top and a blue mini-skirt. It wouldn't be so bad if they were actually making their way back towards the guild, because then at least she would be closer to the place they would be sleeping in that night. No, the issue was that Gajeel was forcing her to spar with him without the use of her keys since she had tried to summon two golds—which was almost always a success by this point—along with a silver, and had passed out for an hour. She felt perfectly fine as far as her magic was concerned, but he was being a hard ass about it. "Gajeel, I'm fucking soaked!" she shrieked, trying to see through the downpour to figure out where the guy went.<p>

Gajeel grinned as he slowly walked up behind her. She couldn't hear him over the rain, mainly because she wasn't focusing enough to _try_ and hear him and was instead focusing on her sight, so once he was right behind her he leaned down and said, "So am I."

Lucy shrieked and rounded on him, throwing her foot into the air and actually catching his jaw with the hit. She watched Gajeel fall backwards and disappear into the rain again, then frowned when she couldn't find him. Lucy turned in a slow circle, trying to find out where he was so she wouldn't be caught off-guard again.

"Over here," Gajeel taunted from her right, then circled around her when she turned to where his voice had come from. He shot one foot forward, catching her in the center of her back and knocking her onto her hands and knees. "Use more than sight, Bunny Girl," Gajeel said firmly. "Every sense can tell you something different about your opponent's location."

Lucy slowly stood up and grabbed her whip. _More than sight._ She circled around again, still looking for a clue as to where he could have disappeared to. She screamed when her legs were swept out from under her, and she fell into the mud on her back. She felt the ground shift slightly next to her, even though she couldn't see anything, and instinctually lashed out at it with her whip from where she was laying. A very distinctive and familiar growl sounded, and Lucy grinned as she pulled herself back to her feet. _I got him._ She quickly lashed out with her whip again, and came back with nothing. "Come on, asshole!" she shouted, turning around again. "Just come out and fucking fight me!"

Gajeel rushed at her from her right while she looked off in the other direction, grabbing her by the throat and slamming her into the ground. Her legs shot up to and kicked him in the face, but his grip didn't waver. "Come on, Bunny Girl. Don't let me choke you."

Lucy glared at the dripping black mane and glowing red eyes she saw. She clipped her whip back on her belt and then reached up and wrapped her hand around Gajeel's thumb that was pressing into her neck. Pushing on the pressure point that Cancer had told her about, Lucy was slowly able to remove his hand, then she pulled her feet to her chest and kicked as hard as she could into his stomach. A gratifying grunt sounded from him before he fell to the ground, and Lucy was instantly on him. She pulled her fist back before he had time to recover, and punched him in the face. "How about _that_, you dumb motherfucker?!" she yelled, letting her anger get the best of her for the time being.

Gajeel growled and brought his mud clad boots up, then wrapped them around her chest and slammed Lucy to the ground. He heard the wind get knocked out of her along with a satisfying splashing sound that could only mean she was drenched in mud. _Oh, this is gonna be good,_ he thought sadistically. "Bunny, you look like shit," he taunted. "No really, it looks like you're covered in shit."

Lucy screeched as she writhed under his legs. _Think, think, think!_ She kicked her feet up into the air and quickly locked her ankles behind his head. "I'm gonna fucking kill you, Gajeel!"

Gajeel chuckled and used his perfectly free hands to pry her legs off of him, then yelled when he found a fist of hers right between his legs. His eyes closed instantly, so he didn't see the boot that was flying at his face until it made contact and knocked him backwards.

Lucy jumped to her feet and instantly slipped when her boots didn't hold a single bit of traction in the mud. "Oh, fuck this!" she yelled, quickly scraping the worst of the mud off and trying to keep an eye on where Gajeel was still lying on the ground. A flash of lightning in the sky temporarily blinded her, and the accompanying thunder drowned out even the noise of the rain as it continued to pour. When her senses returned, the pile that was Gajeel was gone. "Shit," Lucy mumbled, turning around again and again.

Gajeel's fist connected with the side of her head, instantly knocking her to the ground. "Shit's right, Bunny Girl," he growled. "Don't hit me in the nuts again. Didn't your mommy teach you better than that?"

"Don't talk about my mom, Gajeel," Lucy warned, venom filling her voice as she tried to stand up.

"Aww, what's the matter?" Gajeel taunted, grinning at the prospect of having something else to get under her skin. "Did she only give you big tits and blonde hair?"

"Shut up," Lucy seethed, lunging forward and striking at him with punches and kicks in every direction she could manage.

Gajeel cackled and blocked everything she threw at him. "Wow, Bunny Girl. Guess she was too stupid to give you a brain. It's alright, you'll get by somehow."

"Don't fucking talk about her, Gajeel!"

"I'll talk about any cunt I—"

"ARRGH!" Lucy feinted with a kick to his stomach, and once he caught her leg, she put every ounce of strength she possessed into kicking his throat. The pair fell to the ground, and she was instantly on him, pounding into him with everything she had. "How _dare _you call her that, you stupid piece of shit!" she screeched. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"Bunny Girl!" Gajeel shouted, trying and failing for once to block the wild blows from the woman on top of him. "Chill the fuck ou—"

"Do you want to know how it feels, asshole?!" Lucy bellowed.

Gajeel found a small opening and instantly took it, hitting her with a quick jab to her ribs that knocked the wind out of her. He threw her off of him and wiped a hand over his face to see that it was coated in blood. _Seriously fucking sore spot, apparently…_

"I can't believe I let you fuck me!" Lucy yelled, "You're fucking disgusting. I could have fucked a goddamn croissant and been more satisfied than whatever the fuck _that_ was!"

"Really," Gajeel growled. "Then why'd you come back begging for more, skank?"

Lucy stalked over to Gajeel, roughly poking his chest. "Because I felt _sorry_ for you, you gold-plated shit gibbon!"

Gajeel snarled and headbutted her, knocking her to the ground again. Usually she was down for the count after a hit from his head, so he was surprised when her foot shot out and kicked his knee hard enough to make it buckle.

"You couldn't satisfy me, Gajeel," Lucy spat, pulling her leg back to kick him again. "You're not man enough. You're just fucking pathetic!"

Gajeel caught her leg and roughly pulled her over to him, then pinning her to the ground yet again. "You seemed to be singing a different tune before, Bunny Girl," he growled.

"It's called faking it, dumbass," Lucy said with a malicious grin. When Gajeel snarled in her face, she laughed and shook her head. "Poor baby, doesn't like it when his manhood is called into question?"

"Watch it," he warned, "You're treading on thin ice."

"What are you gonna do, you limp-dicked bastard?" Lucy ground out. "Come on, tell m—"

Gajeel knew there was only one way to get Lucy to shut up, so he moved one hand to her hair and roughly pulled her head back, then dove in once her mouth opened on a scream. His tongue swept into her mouth once, twice, and by the third time she was moaning into the kiss and grinding her sex against him. He let her hands go and groaned when she instantly dropped them to the buckle on his belt. He pulled his head back long enough to pull his shirt off, tossing it to the ground as he claimed her lips again.

Lucy felt Gajeel's hands on her belt, deftly loosening it and setting it gently off to the side. She gasped when he quite literally tore her clothes off of her, and couldn't suppress her loud moan when his head dropped to her breasts. She didn't care in the slightest that they were lying in the mud while the rain violently poured down on them, and there was even some part of her that thrilled at the thought of fucking him out in the open. It was dirty, gritty, and downright grungy to be buck naked and rolling around in the mud while she let her hormones run wild, but Lucy wanted nothing more in that moment than to be the nastiest little pervert in the world. Gajeel's tongue swirled quickly over her pebbled peak, then his teeth clamped down causing her to cry out a slew of curses.

"Tell me you want me, Bunny," Gajeel growled as he lined himself up at her entrance, rubbing his tip against her slick sex and itching to slam himself in and make her scream over and over.

"Yes," Lucy moaned, her hands sifting into Gajeel's hair and roughly pulling him up to crash his lips against hers again while the rain tried to wash away the mud she'd smeared on him. "I want you."

With a rumbling growl, Gajeel snapped his hips and firmly seated himself deep within her moistened folds. He couldn't have stopped that wild side of his from coming out even if he'd wanted to as his arms wound around her waist in a bruising grip and forced her down onto him again and again. The way she tasted while coated in large droplets of rain was decadent to him. Gajeel had always enjoyed the smell of rain itself, even how fresh the water tasted when he tipped his head back and let it pour into his mouth; so when that same delicious rain mixed with the sugary almond concoction that was the blonde beneath him, it was like he'd died and gone to heaven.

"Gajeel!" Lucy screamed, arching her back and trying to keep up with him while he plowed into her. It was almost painful—how quickly and roughly he was moving, the way his fingers dug into her flesh when he moved one hand to palm her breast, how his teeth kept dragging over her skin—but all Lucy cared about was the winding coil deep inside of her and how each growl Gajeel let out sent the most delicious vibrations through her whole body. His piercings rubbed each and every spot in just the right way, and when he bit down on her other breast, Lucy's head flew back with a scream.

"You like that, Bunny?" Gajeel groaned, pistoning faster and snarling when her hands moved to his back and her nails dug painfully into her shoulders. Every time she writhed beneath him in a vain attempt to keep up with the pace he had set, more mud splashed up and onto the pair of them causing Gajeel to wonder just how dirty they could get.

"Yes," Lucy panted, "God, yes!" Her eyes went wide when he pulled out of her quickly, flipping her over and slamming her body into the mud beneath him.

Gajeel spread her legs and pushed himself back into her with one swift motion. "Shit," he groaned, propping himself up on his elbows and plunging faster and harder with each thrust into her tightening passage. "You feel so fucking good." His hands moved through the mud, sliding up her stomach to pinch and roll her nipples between his fingers, nearly causing his eyes to cross with how she tightened around him.

"Oh fuck!" Lucy panted, fighting to draw in each breath as her body started tensing in anticipation of her climax. Gajeel's chest was easily gliding against her back, and her hands were able to find a small amount of purchase deep in the wet soil, so she forced her body away from the ground just enough that she could start meeting him thrust for thrust. His hands moved all over her, from her breasts down to her hips and even up to her throat, almost as if he was trying to make sure she was completely coated in mud. When Lucy's back arched, her rear pushing just a little higher and changing the angle of penetration, she heard Gajeel's breath catch in his throat before he let out a low groan. His hand dove between her legs and he shot burst after burst of white hot pleasure spearing through her each time his finger circled that sensitive bundle. "Bite… Mmph… Bite me!"

Gajeel grinned, his inner dragon growling its approval at her willingness to appease his wilder nature. "You sure, Bunny?" he asked as he pushed her hair to the side with his nose. "It's gonna hurt."

"Fucking bite me, Gajeel!" Lucy yelled, lifting one hand from the ground and reaching behind her to get a handful of Gajeel's hair and yank him down to her neck when he pulled away slightly.

He felt her sex rippling around him as she neared her climax, and he bared his teeth while he looked down at the mud-covered skin on her neck. Just as her body was about to crest that peak and send her shooting to the heavens, Lucy forced Gajeel's head down and he bit her harder than he'd ever allowed himself to do before, groaning when he felt the tell-tale pop of her flesh as his teeth sunk further in, and the burst of blood that filled his mouth and flowed down his throat. His pace quickened as her muscles clenched around him, and the way his name came tearing out of her mouth during her orgasm had him growling ferociously, wanting nothing more than to continue pleasing her. The metallic tang to her blood mixed with her scent, forcing him to pull his head away carefully before he lost complete control of himself and let any of his magic leak into her.

Lucy could hardly move in the aftermath of such an intense orgasm, but Gajeel hadn't found his own release yet, so her body was still wracked with wave after wave of euphoria while he quite literally fucked her senseless. She didn't know what had made her tell him to bite her, just that it had been one of the most earth-shattering experiences she'd had while she flew over that peak and into bliss. The feeling of his teeth sinking into her just as she fell over the edge had everything dulling into the background—with her body only registering the feel of Gajeel as he filled her, stroked along her spasming sex with each piercing, surrounded her so completely—while the tension in her snapped like a twig. By the time she was aware of anything, Gajeel was up on his knees with her chest pressed to his and her legs draped over his arms. She couldn't understand how he was even able to hold her up like this and still piston into her as quickly as he was, but she honestly didn't want to understand it. At least she wasn't lying in the mud anymore.

He knew her body was on auto-pilot; each moan and pant that he pulled from her was loud and wanton, while her hands slowly sifted through his hair, and answered with a growl or loud moan of his own. His teeth dragged from her neck down her shoulder, nipping here and there while he started climbing towards his release. He watched her eyes slowly open, and knew she was already feeling the effects of him biting her the way he had. Lucy herself was becoming more wild and uninhibited with each forceful thrust, and when her eyes locked onto his he knew that he would never see anything more beautiful in his entire life: Lucy's blonde hair was hardly visible beneath the almost black of the moistened soil, her face streaked with rain and mud along with the rest of her gorgeously tanned body, but it was the way she looked at him—how her eyes bored right into his and showed some emotion he couldn't possibly name—and the way the corners of her mouth turned up while she gasped and moaned. She seemed absolutely free and whole, and no matter how filthy she was he could only see that freedom inside of her.

"Gajeel," Lucy moaned when he sat back on his heels and pulled her roughly down onto him, her legs dropping to the ground so he could tease her breasts.

"Ride me, Bunny," Gajeel grunted, gritting his teeth and hissing when her core rippled around him again. "I love it when you ride me."

Lucy's lips spread into a grin, and she slowly lifted herself until he was almost completely out of her, then slammed back down and reveled in the moan he let out. The rain continued beating down on them, trying and failing at washing away the dirt and sweat that was caked onto them, and she couldn't help but notice just how good he looked while he was completely drenched with his hair hanging limply over his eyes and sticking to him. "That's good, Gajeel," she rasped, listening to his breath hitch when he heard her voice. She watched his eyes roll back with each slow withdrawal, his mouth falling open while he waited for her to give him what he wanted. "Because I _love_ riding you." Her words sounded more sensual and erotic even to her own ears due to the raspier quality of her voice from screaming, so it wasn't surprising when Gajeel's eyes practically burnt her with the intensity of his gaze while he growled and shuddered. When she'd had enough of teasing him, Lucy planted her feet firmly in the mud and moved her hands to his shoulders, then picked up the torturously rough pace she knew he wanted.

Gajeel knew that Lucy had no clue just how much she affected him, since everything she did while riding him was what gave her the most pleasure. So when she kept herself pressed to his pelvis and started rolling and swirling her hips so his manhood rubbed in different sensitive areas with each move, Gajeel was panting and trying everything he could to hold himself back. Several short strokes, still nestled deeply within her, had his own moans getting louder than he'd ever known possible. Gajeel's eyes widened when her head dropped to his neck and she sucked the skin into her mouth, and his hands dropped to her hips to help her keep moving when her stamina started to wane. He couldn't help but let her hear just how much he enjoyed having her like this, since every roll of her hips took his breath away. She moaned against his skin, and he felt it shoot straight down his spine while he groaned and panted her name.

"Will you let me do it?" Lucy rasped, licking the mark she'd left on Gajeel's neck.

Gajeel smirked and lifted a hand to her head, moving her down to the muscle between his neck and shoulder. "Right there, Bunny," he grunted, "Do it with me."

Lucy giggled, her voice lower and huskier than usual, and she lightly sucked on the skin to make sure it was clean. "All set," she purred, pulling her mud-soaked hair to the side and smiling when she felt Gajeel's lips pressing to the same spot on her. She moaned again and again when he picked up the pace and started forcing them both towards their release faster than she'd thought possible.

Just when he thought he'd burst with no form of control, he heard Lucy's breathing change as she clutched herself to him. With his lips hovering over her, Gajeel felt a ferocious growl rumbling through him, deeper and more animalistic than he'd ever let out. "Do it, Bunny," he growled, grinning when he felt the shiver run down her spine, "Make me cum."

His words caused Lucy's whole body to tense up, and just before she lost all sensation whatsoever, she bit down into Gajeel's shoulder and moaned when she broke through the skin and his blood slowly flowed across her tongue. She heard him roar as he speared into her sex one last time just when she bit him, and once his teeth plunged into her, everything went blank.

Gajeel had never heard or seen anything as breathtaking as Lucy's orgasm that day. Her mouth tore violently away from his shoulder as she screamed his name louder than he'd ever heard before, her back arching and her sex convulsing violently around him. If he hadn't already been on his knees, it would have dropped him to the ground in an instant; between her climax and the intensified euphoria of his own from what they'd done, it took everything in his power to maintain a small sense of control so he could take care of Lucy. As it was, he carefully laid her down on the ground with her shoulders lying on his forearms and her head in his hands to keep her bite marks out of the mud. He shuddered with each diminishing pulse of his shaft, and he peppered her neck and face with soft kisses while she unconsciously mewled in pleasure between pants. Warmth spread through his entire body slowly, creating wave after wave of pure and unadulterated tranquility that washed away every fear and insecurity he'd ever had. His body felt like it was floating and somehow still partially submerged in the viscous mud that surrounded the pair of mages. His senses seemed to dull until he could only focus on Lucy—her breathing, her heart beat, how her skin lightly grazed his, and how she seemed to almost glow as if millions of small lightning bugs had nestled just under her skin and made her more radiant than ever. "Bunny," Gajeel whispered, nuzzling her hair with a lazy grin, "You alright?"

"Fucking hell, Gajeel," Lucy whispered back, finally opening her eyes to see half-lidded red eyes looking down into hers while he hovered over her. Lucy slowly slid her legs along his, moaning softly when her skin met with his and sent tingling pleasure all through her, then smiling when his head dipped down to kiss her. Her tongue slid out and lazily swooped into his mouth only for her to moan and for the kiss to become more urgent when she tasted her blood mixing with his on their tongues. It was metallic in more ways than she knew how to describe—the blood itself, Gajeel's own taste, the iron bar through his tongue—but she was surprised that she was able to actually taste the difference between his blood and hers. Gajeel's blood tasted like sex and raw power, while hers somehow seemed sweet and innocent. Lucy's tongue dragged across his teeth, and her small whimper turned into yet another moan when one sharp point nicked her tongue and he started to suck on it. Lucy's hands slid to every inch of him that she could reach, marveling at the way the mud seemed to make his rippling muscles more apparent.

Gajeel chuckled and pulled back to look down at her slightly dazed face. "Told you that you're fucking delicious," he said.

"How are you not a total space case right now?" Lucy asked after a moment, blinking owlishly up at him.

"Because I'm having too much fun watching you, little Bunny," Gajeel said with the same lazy grin plastered on his face. She smiled up at him, then he dropped his head down to the wound on her neck. His mouth instantly opened to lightly suck on the tender flesh, his tongue laving over it again and again as he made sure the flow of her sweet and delectable blood was staunched. Once the first bite was finished, Gajeel moved across her chest to the other bite on her shoulder. He grinned when she moaned softly while he stopped the blood flow, then slid his nose up her neck to kiss her cheek.

"I feel so strange," Lucy whispered, closing her eyes and smiling when Gajeel's nose dragged across her jaw, the piercings on each side of it somehow feeling like they were all touching her at the same time and sending shivers down her spine.

"Dragon Slayer thing."

"What is?" Lucy asked.

"Biting. I can't do it like _that_ too often, otherwise something could happen to you—which isn't something you need to worry about… I'll be careful—but, biting each other like that…" Gajeel paused and grinned again, closing his eyes while he took in her scent that couldn't be diminished no matter how much rain or mud she was covered in. "Mmm… Kinda like what happens when you meditate."

"Holy shit," Lucy gasped, "Gajeel, you're high as a fucking kite!"

"I'm not the only one," Gajeel mumbled with a light chuckle, and fully enjoying the way she giggled when his teeth dragged across her skin.

"Why didn't it happen before?" Lucy asked, rubbing her cheek along his with a wide smile. Her hands slid around his sides and she slowly started the massaging his back just so she would have something to do with them.

"Only when you break the skin," Gajeel mumbled, pulling his head back to look at her and try to memorize what her smile looks like. "Any other time I've bitten you, I made sure not to go too deep."

"But why does that work on you, too?"

Gajeel lightly bit his lower lip, chuckling while his eyes filled with mischief. "Because you went wild, Bunny. Like… Nature wild." When she looked confused, he added, "If you can let go with a Slayer, and they can let go with you… Biting like that… Just… Wow."

Lucy giggled and shook her head. "That's not really a good description, Gajeel."

"We weren't holding back, Bunny," Gajeel answered, leaning down to capture her lips again. "I've got a wild beast in me, everyone does. You let yours come play with mine, and apparently they like each other enough to make it happen." He paused for a moment, a pensive look on his face. "I like biting you," he whispered, "Feels _good._"

"Well, you have permission to bite me as much as you want," Lucy said with a smirk. She leaned up and lightly nipped at the piercings on his chin, then added, "You're right. It does feel good."

Gajeel grinned as he slowly withdrew from her core. "Mmm, I never wanna leave…"

"So don't," Lucy whispered, wrapping her arms around Gajeel's back and pulling him closer so she could reach his shoulder when she saw a single rivulet of blood slowly moving down onto his chest. She leaned up and ran her tongue along it, giggling when Gajeel moaned and dropped his head limply as it if weighed a ton. She tried to mimic what she'd felt him doing to her, lightly sucking on the wound and then slowly dragging her tongue across it until it wasn't bleeding, and giggled when he started that purring noise she loved to hear.

"I can't keep my dick in you all the time," Gajeel argued, a small pout on his face.

"No, but you can keep me close as can be so you can fuck me constantly," Lucy giggled while she laid her head back down on the ground.

"That sounds like a great idea." Gajeel pulled himself up a little bit, then noticed the rain had finally slowed to a drizzle. "Come on, time to get cleaned up. I wanna get somewhere to set up camp."

"We barely even left our camp from last night," Lucy said while he helped her sit up.

Gajeel took a look around to see the cave they'd slept in the night before less than half a mile away. "Good, we'll go back."  
>"But what about getting back to the guild?"<p>

Gajeel gave a half-shrug, then said, "Well, we're gonna be like this for at least the next few hours, so—"

"Wait, few _hours_?" Lucy asked with wide eyes. She watched that same lazy grin come back while Gajeel fixed his muddy pants back around his hips, leaving the belt undone, then glanced around to see her clothes in two separate piles several feet from them on either side of where they were. "And what the hell did you do to my clothes?"

Gajeel leaned over and grabbed his previously discarded shirt, dipping it into a small puddle to get rid of the worst of the mud, then knelt in front of Lucy with a playful pout. "Aww, grumpy Bunny," he teased, smirking when she started giggling. "I'll help you."

Lucy had no idea that Gajeel could be adorable, but the way his pierced eyebrows had drawn together paired with how his bottom lip pushed out into the cutest pout she'd ever seen had her mind drawing a blank on what to think. Once she heard him talk—with his voice still gravelly and somehow still coming out in a childish voice—she couldn't help but laugh. _Black Steel Gajeel is fucking precious when he's like this!_

"You're pretty precious yourself, Bunny," Gajeel whispered with a wink, laughing when her face turned beet red and her hands shot up to cover her mouth in utter mortification. He moved forward and put his shirt on her, grinning widely when he saw just how she looked in it. _Man, she's beautiful._

Lucy's hands dropped to her lap and she smiled up at Gajeel before propping herself up on her knees and bringing her lips to his. "You don't look too bad yourself," she whispered, giggling when a deep blush crossed his cheeks. "Even better when you blush!"

After Gajeel grabbed her belt, he carefully wrapped it around her hips over his shirt and buckled it, then turned around and lifted her onto his back. "Want a ride?" he asked with a grin while Lucy's arms snaked around his neck and her head laid on his uninjured shoulder.

"Please," she whispered. It didn't take long for them to make it to a nearby stream when Gajeel promptly set her down and pulled her boots off. He cleaned them up and sat them on the bank next to her, then Lucy watched as he washed all of the mud and his blood from their sparring off of himself. "I kinda lost it, huh?" she asked with a frown.

"Yeah, but I was being a dick," Gajeel said once he was done and kneeling next to Lucy again. "Come on, Bunny. Time for a bath."

Lucy giggled when he picked her up in his arms and walked back into the stream. "No!" she shouted, wriggling around and kicking her legs in feigned fright. "Anything but water! Gajeel, it's my only weakness!"

"No worries," Gajeel whispered, kissing her cheek, "I'll keep my little Bunny safe."

Lucy blushed and wrapped her arms around his neck while Gajeel knelt in the stream. "So, I'm your little Bunny?" she asked when he started washing her legs off.

"Yeah," Gajeel answered with a smirk and a blush, glancing at her briefly before pulling her arms down to clean them. "You're always gonna be my Bunny."

"Always always?" Lucy asked softly as she started rinsing out her hair. "You'll never have another Bunny?"

"Nope, just you. I don't think I'd know what to do if I had more than one," Gajeel chuckled. "Don't you wanna be my Bunny?"

Lucy blushed and nodded. "Always always," she whispered, moving so she was on his back again. "I can hop around and dance just like one! All for you!"

Gajeel laughed and bent down to pick up Lucy's boots before walking back towards the cave they were going to stay in. "Bunnies don't dance."

"This one does, you should see it sometime. It's wonderful!" Lucy grinned, then paused and frowned. "Wait, if I'm your Bunny, then what are you?" she asked, tilting her head to the side to look at Gajeel's profile.

"I'm a dragon!"

"No, your _dad_ is a dragon," Lucy said with a smirk.

"Right, but if he's a dragon then so am I," Gajeel retorted.

"So, will you be my dragon, Gajeel?" Lucy asked wistfully.

"Always always, Bunny!" Gajeel shouted with a wide grin, turning to look at Lucy and seeing her eyes soften while she smiled at him.

Lucy giggled again and hugged him while he walked back to the cave. "We should do this more often," she said with a grin, "You're fun like this."

"If we could, I would bite you like this every day," Gajeel answered with a smirk.

"Why can't we?"

"Because he said I can't," Gajeel said. "I'm not allowed to tell you why."

"Secrets, secrets, Gajeel," Lucy hummed playfully. "It's okay, I trust you."

"You do?" Gajeel asked softly, his voice slightly uncertain.

"Mm-hmm! You're a dick sometimes—well, most times—but you're also a sweetheart when you wanna be," Lucy whispered. "Even when you hurt me, I know you're just trying to take care of me."

"You know why, right?" Gajeel asked. When Lucy shook her head no, he said, "Because you're my little Bunny. I've gotta make you happy!"

Lucy beamed at him, and lightly kissed his shoulder. "Today's the best day ever," she said with a smile.

"Yeah it is."

* * *

><p>Gajeel woke up earlier than usual, and looked toward the mouth of the cave to see that it was still fully dark outside, with the smallest single glimmer of sunlight barely peeking over the horizon. He looked down at the blonde that was resting peacefully in his arms, and instantly nuzzled her hair while he let her scent wash over him again and again. After one final deep breath, Gajeel carefully pulled himself away from her, pausing only when he was free to make sure she stayed asleep. He smirked when she rolled over into the spot he'd just vacated, her bare breasts puckering slightly since the warmth he'd provided wasn't there any longer. After quickly putting on a pair of pants, Gajeel silently walked over to the mouth of the cave and looked up at the night sky. It was utterly cloudless, and the lack of lights from any sort of civilization made it so that the stars were brighter than ever. Glancing to the east, he saw the sun slowly making its way up into the sky, and turned to walk back into the cave.<p>

He carefully wrapped the blanket around Lucy and picked her up, noticing how she instantly curled into him once he was close, and carried her to the cave entrance. Once he was settled, with her curled up between his legs and his arms caged around her, Gajeel brushed her hair from her face and whispered, "Bunny, time to wake up."

Lucy frowned and grumbled, nestling closer to the deliciously bare chest that she'd been blessed with sleeping next to.

"Come on, little Bunny," Gajeel chuckled. "Wake up. You'll miss the fight."

Lucy's eyes shot open and she looked around wildly, her body instantly tensing and ready to attack, only to see nothing out of the ordinary. She felt more than heard Gajeel laughing, and turned to sleepily glare at him. "What the fuck, Gajeel?" she whispered as she rubbed her eyes, her voice thick with sleep.

Gajeel shook his head at her, then looked up at the sky. "There's a fight. Figured you'd wanna see it since we're nowhere near a city."

When Lucy looked questioningly up at him, then followed his gaze to look up toward the heavens, she gasped and smiled when she saw just how clear the sky was and how brightly all the stars were shining. Lucy turned slightly so that her back was pressed to his chest and laid her head on his shoulder, giggling when she felt Gajeel's chin resting on top of her head. "The stars are really giving it their all this time," she whispered.

"I don't think the sun's gonna make it easy for them," Gajeel answered with a smirk.

"When is a fight ever easy?" Lucy asked with a snort. "Think they'll win?"

"Probably not," Gajeel answered honestly, squeezing her lightly when he felt her deflate a little, "But, they're stubborn little fuckers, so maybe it'll be different this time."

Lucy giggled and nodded, then looked at the position of the stars and she grinned when she saw Virgo's constellation directly in front of them. "Gajeel," she whispered excitedly, "Virgo's over there."

Gajeel frowned and followed Lucy's line of sight to see the mountains on the opposite side of the range. "Bunny, are you gonna be high every time we watch the sunrise?" he asked with a chuckle.

Lucy scowled and lightly elbowed him, squealing when he squeezed her and growled in her ear. "Her constellation," she clarified, "Is across from us." She pulled her hands from the blanket, pulling it tightly around her chest to combat the cool air around them, then grabbed Gajeel's hand. "See that line of five stars?" she asked as she used his index finger to point to the stars she was talking about.

"Yeah?"

"And then these two branches?"

"Yeah."

Lucy grinned and looked up at Gajeel, then said, "That's Virgo."

"Well, shit," Gajeel muttered with a smirk, "If she's fighting, then I don't know if the sun has much of a chance. She really likes punishing things."

"Well, I think she has more of a defensive position for today. She's off to the side, so she's probably working as a healer for the time being. Once she's directly above us, she'll be handing out punishments left and right," Lucy answered, smiling when Gajeel chuckled and kissed her cheek. "Wait a second…" Lucy frowned and looked around at the stars again. She leaned forward and looked directly above them, then started to pull herself away from Gajeel while she crawled forward slowly to get a better look.

"What the hell are you doing, Bunny Girl?" Gajeel asked.

"Holy shit!" Lucy shouted, reaching back blindly and tugging Gajeel over to her while she gaped at the sky. "Come here, you've gotta see!"

Gajeel raised an intrigued eyebrow and moved forward, pulling Lucy into his arms again when he was next to her. "Alright, who else is up there?" he asked.

Lucy smiled up at Gajeel, kissing his chin lightly while she started pointing out the stars with his hand again. "These four," she said, tracing the imaginary lines to connect the stars of the constellation, "Plus these ten." She slowly drew along them with his hand, her smile widening once they reached the final star. "That's Draco, the celestial dragon."

"Well, it's settled," Gajeel said with a grin, "The sun's getting its ass kicked today. Can't beat a fucking dragon." He listened to Lucy giggle again and sigh happily while they watched the sun rising slowly in the east, a soft golden glow emanating from the horizon and almost lazily lighting up the sky in a brilliant blue.

"You know," Lucy said hesitantly, "There's a story behind each constellation."

"So, what's Draco's story?"

Lucy sighed and laced her fingers with Gajeel's while she looked up at the dragon constellation. "It's said that thousands of years ago, Draco was a dragon that was constantly locked in battles with the gods. One goddess was finally able to defeat him and she threw his body into the heavens, where it twisted around itself over and over. He landed at the North Celestial Pole, and froze from the lower temperature before he could realign his body."

"So why do you sound upset about that?" Gajeel asked warily.

"Because Draco is one of the few constellations that has two stories," Lucy answered, turning to face him and looking into his eyes. "There's the story of how he got up there, and then there's the story of what his constellation signifies."

"Okay…?"

"Draco's constellation signifies the heaven of dragons," Lucy said sadly. As she continued, she found it harder and harder to hold Gajeel's gaze, and eventually gave up and kept her eyes glued to their joined hands. "He was the first dragon to die here on Earthland, and his home in the sky is said to be where all dragons go when their time is up in our world. You never really told me why thinking about your dragon upsets you, and I said I wouldn't push the issue since it's pretty personal… But, I guess I just wanted you to know that… _If_ that's what happened… Then you know where you can see him."

Gajeel gaped at her, then looked up at the constellation she had pointed out. He wanted to be angry that she would assume Metallicana was dead, because there was _no way_ his father could really be gone forever without Gajeel having the chance to tell him goodbye. At the same time, Gajeel could see how hesitant she was to bring it up simply because she knew it might upset him to even think about it. She had given him a way to see his father if the dragon had really bitten the dust, and in the event that it was true Gajeel just didn't know how to cope with the kindness she was showing him. "What if…" he asked in a whisper, looking back down at where their hands were still connected, "What if I don't know what happened to him?"

Lucy frowned and looked up at Gajeel. "What do you mean?" she asked softly.

"What if I don't know whether he's dead or not?" Gajeel asked, frowning as he remembered the day he'd woken up to find he'd been left alone again. "I can't really look at their heaven to see him if he's not there…"

Lucy pulled one of her hands from his and lifted it to his cheek, then smiled gently at him once he looked up at her. With her thumb lightly tracing along his skin, she whispered, "Then look at Draco when you miss him. Heaven or not, it's still a dragon that you can see. Who knows… Maybe Draco will tell him, and he'll know you're thinking about him."

Gajeel sighed and said, "How's that gonna happen? I don't know where he is, so how would Draco know?"

"Because Draco's in the sky every night, all across Earthland," Lucy said, "If he's still around here somewhere, then Draco will see him. And, if he's up there with Draco, then it's as simple as turning around and talking to him. You can tell the stars anything you want, especially when you're upset. They're very good listeners."

Gajeel looked at her for a long minute, staring deeply into her chocolate eyes and seeing kindness, compassion, and truth in their depths. He didn't know what to say to her, what to do to show her how she'd made him feel. Lucy gave him a way to feel a little less alone in the world, a way to 'see' his father in a sense, and he just couldn't piece together what would make her treat him like that after everything that's happened. He couldn't understand how she could go from hating his very existence to giving him a sense of comfort, and wondered if there was more that he had missed about the kind of person she really was.

Lucy leaned up and gently pressed her lips to Gajeel's, then ran her nose along the piercings in his before she settled herself back in his arms. "You should talk to Draco sometime," she whispered. "I talk to the stars all the time. It gives me a way to see my mom when I do…"

"What do you mean?" Gajeel asked, burying his nose in her hair and closing his eyes while he wrapped his arms more tightly around her.

"She died a few years ago," Lucy said sadly. "I got my first keys from her, and she taught me about the stars in the first place. So, any time I miss her I talk to them. It makes me feel like she's right there with them, keeping an eye on me."

"That's why you wanted to find someone that saw more than stars?" he asked softly. _That's why she got so upset when I said that stuff in the rain,_ he thought with guilt coursing through him. He realized then that the only parent Lucy ever told him about was her mother. He didn't know if it meant that she only had good memories of her, or just that the now-deceased woman was the only parent Lucy had. No matter the reason, Gajeel fully understood why she had snapped—he would have done the same thing if anyone had started talking like that about Metallicana.

Lucy nodded, running her fingers over the piercings in his arms. "Makes things a little less lonely when there's someone out there that understands you… Even just a little bit."

After several silent minutes, Gajeel finally opened his eyes and looked back up at the sky, never moving too far from Lucy's scent. "How many constellations are there, Bunny?" Gajeel asked.

"Originally, eighty-eight. Some of them were split off by astronomers later on for one reason or another," Lucy said with a smile. "There are only eighty-eight keys though. Maybe a few more if any of those old legends are true."

"Legends?"

Lucy nodded and looked up to see Gajeel watching the sky intently, his eyes darting back and forth from Draco towards the sunrise. "Yeah, there are legends—stories, fairy tales, or whatever you want to call them— about more keys that are supposed to be stronger than the Zodiacs. They might all be different keys, or just different author's names for the same ones, but no one's ever confirmed their existence. There's Platinum, Diamond, Onyx… Pretty much any gemstone…"

"Well, if your keys are silver and gold, why would the others be made out of something other than metal?" Gajeel asked.

Lucy shrugged. "Who knows? If they're real, then maybe it's just to distinguish them from normal keys. There could be any number of reasons for the Celestial Spirit King to make them from a different material."

"King?" Gajeel asked, turning away from the sky to look at Lucy. "They have a king?"

Lucy grinned and nodded. "I don't know much about him aside from what I've read, but he's apparently the strongest spirit in existence and rules over the constellations and their spirits."

"Does he have a key?"

"Oh, no!" Lucy giggled and shook her head quickly. "That would be way too much power for a human to wield, even if they had enough magic to summon him in the first place. Besides, I'm sure he's a busy guy—what with being a king and all. He probably doesn't want to get called away from whatever it is he does just for some piddly little fight."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Gajeel said with a short nod, turning back to look at the sky again and resting his chin on her hair.

Once the sun had completely risen, with the stars disappearing for the day, Lucy sighed and shook her head. "Maybe next time," she whispered. She smiled softly when Gajeel's nose nestled in her hair and his lips lightly kissed her head. "So, we're heading back today?"

Gajeel sighed and nodded. "Yeah, we won't make it back to town before nightfall though. I've gotta give Master Jose a report on your training and the mission tomorrow when I go to the guild. Also, someone might think I just up and killed you if we don't come back soon."

"It's not much of a stretch, you know," Lucy shot back with a smirk, "You've tried a few times now."

"Well, you just won't fucking _die_," Gajeel grumbled, then chuckled when Lucy elbowed him in the stomach again.

"So, are we going back to how things were before we left?" Lucy asked uncertainly, "At least, when we're around town?" She didn't want to just assume that she would be able to act however she wanted around Gajeel when they returned to the guild, especially since people liked knowing about any form of relationship with someone so it could be exploited. Ever since the day they'd fought in the rain, Gajeel and Lucy never spent much time _not_ in physical contact with one another. He would nuzzle her, wrap his arms around her, kiss her anywhere and everywhere, and she would do the exact same thing. Even when they were arguing about something, it usually ended up in the most wonderfully angry fuckfest that left them both too exhausted to do much more than hurl half-hearted insults afterwards while they curled around each other. If it wasn't for how often she hit him with the intent of causing serious physical damage (or vice versa), or the vehemence of the insults they hurled at one another like weapons, Lucy knew people would think the pair was an actual couple based on how they acted otherwise; kissing, hugging, cuddling before bed, even how Gajeel nuzzled her just to smell her, it all screamed romance even though it was nothing more than them enjoying the feel of the other's body pressed against them. _Physical contact,_ Lucy thought, _It's not romantic at all. Not even watching the sunrise like this… He just knows I like to see the stars, and he likes to see them too._ She didn't even consider what they had said to each other that day—about her being 'his' Bunny and him 'her' dragon—since they never talked about it. Lucy remembered everything, and she could tell that Gajeel did as well, but they let it go, otherwise it could make things more complicated.

Gajeel scowled at the ground while he thought about what Lucy had asked. He knew what she was thinking, and the reaction of any shift in how they treated each other could end very badly if knowledge of it got into the wrong hands. "I don't know," he whispered.

Lucy sighed and shook her head, then said, "Well, you and I still fight like cats and dogs anyway, so that's not much of a change."

"And you're constantly threatening my dick with mutilation," Gajeel grumbled.

"Exactly!" Lucy said with a smirk. "So we just won't be able to touch each other in public… Fuck that sucks."

Gajeel shrugged and nestled his nose in the crook of her neck, closing his eyes and lightly nuzzling the tender flesh that he knew would make her laugh. Right on cue, the lilting laughter of the blonde in his arms came out, putting a smug smirk on his face. "You're probably right. We'll need to act like we used to."

"You know," Lucy said thoughtfully, "If you keep training me, then us being a little closer wouldn't seem so strange. Especially if people see it happening at the guild. I mean, how many times have we started a fist-fight in the middle of a workout?"

"Every day, Bunny," Gajeel chuckled. "You literally fight me every single fucking day because you can't shut your goddamn mouth for half a second."

"See? So, how's it any different if we keep that up?"

"Master ordered me to train you while we were out here, not at the guild," Gajeel said. "He probably doesn't want anyone else knowing about it."

"But, why?"

"Because the guild isn't really known for helping each other out," Gajeel said with a frown, "You know that."

"Fine, I'll just piss you off like I usually do, and then everyone will wonder why you and I disappeared for over a month and how I suddenly came back much stronger than before," Lucy retorted with a snort of derision. "Makes perfect fucking sense."

"Maybe we'll just fall back into the habit when we're actually there," Gajeel said with another shrug. He lifted his hand and turned her head to face him, then let his lips brush lightly over hers while he said, "We'll play it by ear, how about that?"

Lucy nodded with a smirk, whispering, "Sounds good to me," just before she moved to fully press her lips to his.

* * *

><p>After finally making the last leg of their journey out of the mountains and through the forest by Oak Town, Lucy and Gajeel realized they would reach the town border just before midnight. As they got closer to town, when Gajeel was actually able to smell other people in their homes, the pair had exchanged one last kiss before stepping away to a safer distance. Gajeel's normal scowl was firmly in place and Lucy had summoned Plue so she would have someone to hold onto in the absence of a wonderfully strong arm wrapped around her. Surprisingly, Plue and Gajeel gave each other a short greeting—with the little spirit waving and Gajeel nodding in his direction—before they studiously ignored each other.<p>

"Punn Puuun!"

Lucy smiled down at Plue and said, "No, I don't have any lollipops right now. Virgo has my bag."

"Punn?"

"Yeah, we'll be in town by midnight. You can help keep me company when Gajeel has to go home," Lucy answered.

"I still don't know how you can understand him," Gajeel muttered, glancing at the small spirit.

Plue looked over at the menacing Dragon Slayer and tilted his head to the side. "Pu… Punn…"

Lucy giggled and said, "He's saying your name, Gajeel. Listen closely."

"Pu… Punn…"

Gajeel frowned, straining to hear how those two little syllables could possibly sound like his name. Plue repeated it again and again, and Gajeel's eyes widened marginally when he actually picked up the faintest remnants of his name. "Holy shit, that's fucking weird."

Lucy laughed along with Plue. "It takes some getting used to, but now I can almost always understand what he's saying. He's pretty great at charades when I'm stumped though." Lucy looked down at Plue and said, "Show Gajeel a dragon, Plue."

Gajeel watched as the little 'dog' spirit jumped to the ground, and the pair of mages stopped to see him acting out what was supposed to be a dragon. Even though he was constantly shaking, Plue's arms stretched out to the sides to mimic wings, his little eyebrows drew together, and he stomped around while his mouth opened wide in what was supposed to be a roar. "That's a pretty good dragon," Gajeel chuckled. "Kinda reminds me of Metallicana."

Lucy giggled and picked Plue back up while they started walking. "How so?"

"He used to stomp around like that when I pissed him off—usually trying to squish me under his foot, the bastard," Gajeel said with a smirk. "Only thing that was missing was some sharp teeth."

Once they reached the town's border, Lucy paused to look up at Gajeel. "I'll see you at the guild tomorrow?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah," Gajeel answered, scanning the streets and trying to pick out any scents from another person that was outside in the area. "Where's your place, Bunny?"

"A couple blocks from the guild, why?"

Gajeel nodded, crossing his arms over his chest and scanning the area again. When he heard the jingling of Lucy's keys, he turned to see her pulling out a golden key and placed his hand over her arm. "Come with me," he said gruffly.

Lucy frowned at Gajeel as he started dragging her through town, but instead of complaining like she wanted, Lucy allowed herself to fully enjoy the small bit of contact and stayed silent. Turn after turn led them into the worst part of town, and Lucy knew that if she didn't have Gajeel with her she would have been more than apprehensive. Broken bottles littered the ground, small cardboard boxes were lined in alleys with blankets covering them, and the rancid aroma of burning trash filled her nostrils. Lucy grimaced and glanced up at Gajeel to see his face completely hardened while he tried to ignore all of the smells around them. After what seemed like a lifetime of wading through the thin layer of refuse on the ground, Lucy saw an apartment building before them.

"Figured we could have another night," Gajeel whispered as he pulled open the creaky door and led her into the hallway.

"Where are we?" Lucy asked once they'd rounded the third flight of stairs and walked down another hall.

"My place. Closer than yours, and further from the guild," Gajeel answered with a smirk. He watched Lucy blush and opened the door that he never bothered to lock—since no one was ever stupid enough to try and break into his place—then led her inside.

Lucy hadn't known what she was expecting when it came to where Gajeel lived, but it was obvious that the Iron Dragon Slayer lived here. It was a simple studio apartment with the only real piece of furniture being a large bed with a black and grey bedspread. There as a simple nightstand next to it, an open closet, and two iron barstools that sat next to the breakfast bar that separated the rest of the place from the kitchen. One corner had a huge pile of scrapmetal, which made her eyes widen when she saw how sharp some of those pieces were, and there was a single door off to the right that she assumed was a bathroom. His apartment was clean, not obsessively so but enough to know that he actually cleaned the place, and though there weren't any decorations of any sort Lucy knew that it was just like Gajeel to keep only the bare necessities.

Gajeel knew Lucy would end up looking around, not that there was much to look at, so he went to the refrigerator and grabbed a couple of beers. They had already eaten dinner that Virgo had made so they wouldn't have to stop, and he didn't have any food in his house since he was hardly ever there in the first place. He walked into the common area and saw Lucy sprawled out on the bed and looking at him, with her boots carefully placed at the foot of the bed and both of their bags placed next to them. With a smirk, Gajeel bit the cap of her beer off, and handed her the bottle while he chewed on the small piece of metal.

Lucy giggled and sat up, making room for Gajeel on the bed, and said, "Well, that's one way to open a beer."

Gajeel winked while he opened his own beer and took a swig, then kicked off his boots and sat down on the bed. "Waste not, and all that," he said.

"So, why did you drag me all the way to your house?" Lucy asked, taking another large gulp of her drink.

"Wanted another night with you," Gajeel answered before tipping the bottle back and finishing it off.

"Aww," Lucy cooed while she finished off her own bottle, "Were you gonna miss me?"

"Watch it, Bunny Girl," Gajeel warned, taking their empty bottles and throwing them away before he came back to sit on the bed. "I don't know how things are gonna go, and I felt like getting one more good night's rest."

Lucy smirked and slid closer to him, then nudged his arm with hers. "Because you like to smell me, you big ol' creeper."

"Yep. And waking up with your tits all over me," Gajeel retorted, raising and lowering his eyebrows with a lecherous grin.

"Well, how about a shower first?" she asked as she slid off the bed, squealing when Gajeel made a grab for her and running over to the bathroom door. Lucy jumped when his arms wrapped around her waist and she was pulled into his chest, but she instantly melted against him when his lips brushed against her ear.

"You sure you want a shower?" he growled, reveling in the shiver than ran through her. "We could skip it and just get to the fun part."

Lucy slowly turned and looked up at the lusty red eyes above her. "Or you can show me what it's like to fuck you in a shower. Two birds, one stone."

"You know, I like the way you think," Gajeel said with a devious grin. He quickly lifted Lucy into his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist, and walked into the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Gajeel creaked one eye open when he didn't feel a warm body lying next to him. Lucy's scent still surrounded him and the bed, and he could tell that she was still in his apartment, but he couldn't seem to see her. He stretched, feeling his muscles about to snap with tension, then relaxed and sighed contentedly while he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, they practically bugged out of his head when he saw her sitting on one of his bar stools while two of her spirits were in his apartment. Virgo was in the kitchen, apparently getting ready to make them breakfast using his hardly-used appliances. What caught Gajeel completely by surprise was the man wearing a blue shirt, jeans, and sunglasses… with crab legs sticking out of his back. The crab spirit was wielding two pairs of scissors, dipping at Lucy's head with lightning speed while the faintest snipping sound could be heard.<p>

"All done, baby," Cancer said with a proud grin as he handed Lucy a mirror.

"Aww, Cancer!" Lucy said softly, unaware of Gajeel's fully conscious form staring at her from the bed, "Thanks, it's perfect."

"Call me any time, baby," Cancer said while Lucy jumped up and hugged him, then disappeared.

Once Cancer was gone, Gajeel was able to really see Lucy. She was wearing a black long-sleeve turtleneck that was still a crop top—_Because __**that**__ makes sense,_ he thought sarcastically—and a royal blue mini-skirt. His eyes raked over her body, taking extra time to drink in the sight of her hips barely poking out of the skirt and her tiny waist and deciding that those were his favorite parts of her to ogle, and when he looked up at her blushing face he saw that her hair was noticeably longer than the day before by a couple inches and pulled into pigtails with her bangs framing her face.

"Morning, Gajeel," Lucy said with a smirk once his eyes finally landed on hers. She slowly strutted over to the bed, giggling when his gaze immediately dropped to her hips to watch them sway, then knelt down next to him. "We didn't wake you, did we?"

Gajeel rolled his eyes and said, "Nah, your body not rubbing all over me is what woke me up. And then a huge crab standing in the middle of the room kinda threw me for a loop."

Lucy lightly smacked Gajeel's bare stomach and pouted, "Cancer is not a 'giant crab'."

"One look at his back tells me different, Bunny Girl," Gajeel shot back, grabbing her hand and pulling her down on top of his chest. "Wanna explain the crazy shirt?"

Lucy raised an eyebrow and said, "I couldn't cover the bite marks you left me with makeup, and it's cold enough for me to have a long-sleeve shirt."

"And how is it gonna keep you warm?" Gajeel asked while his hands glided over her bare back. "Seems like something's missing."

Lucy giggled and said, "Well, maybe I just want to show off my guild mark." When Gajeel looked at her pointedly, she shrugged. "Now, tell me good morning properly."

Gajeel glared at her when she turned her head and pointed to her cheek. "You're way too fucking chipper in the morning," he grumbled.

Lucy pouted and turned to glare at him. "I am n—"

Gajeel smirked when he cupped her neck and brought his lips to hers and she sighed happily. "Morning, Bunny," Gajeel whispered when he pulled back to see Lucy smiling lazily at him.

"Princess, breakfast is ready," Virgo said with a bow as she stood next to the bed. She stifled her laughter when Lucy squeaked and jumped, then fell off of the bed with a loud thump. "My apologies for startling you, Princess. Punishment?"

Lucy's head popped up from the opposite side of the bed, looking from Gajeel's smirking face to the blank expression on Virgo's. "No, no punishment," she said with a blush at having forgotten that her spirit was still in the apartment. "Thank you, Virgo."

Virgo bowed one more time, then disappeared, leaving the two mages in an awkward silence while silently hoping that they would figure out just how much their relationship really meant to the other. She wasn't blind, she had seen how they had interacted almost from the time they had met. Even though Lucy had one of the kindest hearts Virgo had ever seen in her long existence, the young blonde seemed to have a penchant for aggravating the Slayer as much as possible. Virgo couldn't understand how Lucy was able to survive in the darker atmosphere of her guild, even taking lives without a second thought, while still maintaining that beautiful light within herself. It was almost a paradox—how could she be so pure and still commit such horrible acts? Regardless of her own questions on that matter, Virgo saw the way they looked at each other as though they were the only ones in the world. She had watched with amusement when the pair had returned to the cave after that storm, since Lucy had called her back out to get their bags, and she couldn't believe just how open they were being. The Iron Slayer was smiling and holding onto Lucy like she might disappear, marking her with his scent over and over just as animals do in the wild. Lucy herself was allowing him to see the brighter side of her personality, the one that she kept hidden from the guild because someone might try and take advantage of her for it. Being able to sense the emotions of her Princess definitely came in handy when watching those two: Lucy was genuinely happy with Gajeel around, no matter how often they argued or came to blows with one another.

"Come on," Lucy said as she stood up and smoothed her skirt down, "Get that shiny metal ass out of bed and eat some breakfast."

"I don't have a shiny metal a—"

"Gajeel," Lucy said seriously, "I've seen you naked too many times to count. If you don't believe me, then go look in the mirror with you're scales on… Then you tell me if your ass is both shiny and metallic."

Gajeel stared wide-eyed at her, watching as she bit her lips in the attempt at keeping her laughter to herself. "You're joking," he said with a glare.

Lucy shook her head and threw a hand over her mouth. "Mm-mm!" she mumbled before losing her battle with her laughter. "I could almost see my reflection!" she choked out between giggles.

"Bunny Girl, if you don't cut that shit out I'm gonna kill you," Gajeel muttered with a hand over his face.

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><p>Jose was sitting at his desk while he waited for Gajeel and Lucy to return to the guild. He'd spoken with the Slayer the day before, so he knew they would be back today. It was just a matter of waiting for them to show up and see for himself whether or not Gajeel had been successful in gaining her trust. They would need her to trust at least one person in the guild, and for her loyalties to lie completely with both Gajeel and the guild itself, for his plan to work. One look at the time told Jose that it was nearing the time Gajeel usually showed up, and he didn't expect to see Lucy for at least another hour afterwards. It would give him plenty of time to speak with Gajeel concerning the next phase of his plan, and to try and glean any other information concerning the last few weeks of their training, before he watched how Lucy acted in the guild around Gajeel.<p>

With a sigh, Jose stood up and made his way out to the second floor balcony. He looked around at the few tables that were upstairs and saw that three of the four other S-Class members were sitting at a single table in complete silence. He gave them a quick nod and they each stood up and made their way out of the guild to start the preparations for the next phase. Jose looked down at the first floor and saw that neither of the mages he was searching for had arrived yet, and sneered when he saw just how rowdy some of the other members were getting in the midst of a far-too-early drunken stupor. Nearly half of his guild was out on missions, and of the other half almost two-thirds had just returned from missions of their own. _They can have today,_ he told himself, _But they will need to get back to work tomorrow._

When the doors opened, Jose raised an amused eyebrow when he saw Lucy walking inside with the same blank face she always had when she was at the guild. She went right up to the bar, to the same stool that she always sat at, and ordered her usual strawberry smoothie from Tom. There was at least one open seat on either side of her, with a few other members that were actually brave or stupid enough to be anywhere near the feisty little blonde, sitting in near silence at the bar once she sat down. A soft chuckle sounded from Jose when he remembered the first time a guild member had tried to stop Lucy from sitting in her seat by saying he'd been there first. She had dragged him off of the stool and then beat him half to death with it, breaking the thing in the process. Once she'd been satisfied that he wouldn't make the same mistake, Lucy grabbed another stool and moved it to the vacant spot and sat down. She had even forced Tom to find out how much it would cost to replace the stool she had broken, then gave the money directly to Jose with an explanation that she wouldn't feel right if he was forced to pay for something she destroyed.

Jose was surprised when Gajeel entered the guild less than a minute after Lucy had, but even he seemed to be his usual anti-social self. Instead of sitting down at his table that was constantly covered in metal—because there really was no other way to keep the Slayer from slaughtering people if he didn't have something to eat to distract himself and keep others away—Gajeel looked up at the balcony and nodded before making a bee-line to the stairs. Jose turned and walked silently down the hall to his office with Gajeel right behind him. He made his way back to his desk and sat down, lacing his fingers together and watching the stoic Dragon Slayer stand in his usual spot with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "So, how was your time away?" Jose asked with a grin.

"Fucking horrible," Gajeel said with a sneer.

"I find that hard to believe," Jose said, raising an eyebrow and motioning for Gajeel to take a seat. This was going to be a long conversation, he just knew it.

Gajeel silently sat down in the single armchair in front of Master Jose's desk, and stayed silent.

"Did you complete your tasks?"

Gajeel nodded. "Mission's done. She's trained. She trusts me."

"How have the last two weeks of her training gone?"

"She's learned offense and defense with and without weapons. She's better at countering attacks than initiating them herself. She can summon two golds and a silver and keep them out for over an hour if they don't use any magic. If they do, she can only hold two golds for thirty minutes before she has to send them back—otherwise she passes out." Gajeel paused and thought over what else he needed to tell Master Jose about Lucy's training. "She's shit when she can't see anything, doesn't focus enough on her other senses to compensate. We didn't have many opportunities for her to hone that though, and it takes a lot of time. Out of everything, the only thing I didn't have to teach her was tactics. That's apparently second-nature to her, and she uses it to her advantage to catch her enemy off-guard in a confrontation."

"How so?" Jose asked, an intrigued smile playing across his lips.

"She was bitching about something during training," Gajeel answered with a sneer, "Ranting on and on. Wouldn't shut the fuck up. So, when I went to attack her she caught me with her whip and cancelled out my roar, then knocked me to the ground and kicked me in the head. I almost ripped her throat out afterwards."

Jose knew that Gajeel was extremely skilled at hiding his emotions, even though they were usually only negative ones, but there was still something that he could tell the Slayer was hiding from him. "Do you trust her, Gajeel?"

Gajeel raised an eyebrow and said, "I don't trust anyone. You didn't order me to trust her." Gajeel had to suppress his growl of agitation at the line of questioning coming from the guild master. He was loyal to his guild, and would do whatever he was ordered to by Jose, but that didn't mean that the man needed to know about the shift in his and Lucy's relationship—even if it was just a physical release of tension like the one they had—or that she had actually gained his trust.

"How can you be sure she trusts you, Gajeel? It's crucial that she has someone in the guild that ties her to us," Jose said firmly. He had seen Gajeel's eyes widen slightly at his last question, and knew he'd hit a nerve. _He trusts her as well,_ he thought.

"Like I told you, my nose doesn't lie."

"I wasn't aware you could smell trust," Jose said.

"Not trust," Gajeel answered. "More like emotions that involve trust." He really didn't like the way this conversation was going. There had to be some way out of it that he wasn't seeing, but whatever it was needed to surface quickly before Jose wheedled any information out of him that he didn't want to be known.

"What emotions, Gajeel?"

"Not sure," Gajeel answered. "I just know that they mean she trusts me."

_He's lying._ Jose raised an eyebrow at the Slayer, then sighed and nodded. "Very well. I'll have a mission for you in a couple of weeks, so don't go disappearing for too long." He watched with well-hidden amusement as Gajeel's eyebrow rose in question, then Jose merely dismissed him with a wave of his hand. It was going to take time for the Element Four to finish their preparations, and Jose was curious to see what would happen with Lucy and Gajeel in the guild now that they were back. There was something different about them; that much he could tell based on the small facial slips Gajeel had made. Maybe Jose just needed to have a talk with Lucy herself and see what else he could find. "Oh, Gajeel," Jose called out as the Slayer reached the door, "Send Lucy up here. I'd like to speak with her."

Gajeel nodded and made his way out of the office. _Shit,_ he thought, _He knows something._ Gajeel stopped at the balcony and looked down at the bar to see Lucy was already gone. He frowned for a minute, wondering when she had left since he hadn't been in Master Jose's office for too long, then honed in on her scent and found that it was leading outside to the training grounds. Not willing to keep the Master waiting, Gajeel walked down the stairs and immediately went outside to see Lucy had summoned Taurus and was working on her combination attacks with the bull spirit. She seemed to notice Gajeel was there right away, but she continued working as if she was clueless to his presence causing a small smirk to crawl onto his face.

After ten more minutes, Lucy was feeling a little overworked and decided to dismiss Taurus and get a drink of water. She walked over to the bleachers to see Gajeel sitting down and waiting for her to come over to him. "Yes?" she asked coldly, doing everything in her power to maintain the distance they'd had before their mission.

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. "Master wants to talk to you," he said. "Pretty sure he knows something's up, but do what you can to keep it to yourself."

Lucy rolled her eyes and huffed. "I'm not an idiot, Gajeel. It was almost guaranteed that he would figure it out. He's the guild master for a reason."

"What makes you say that?"

"You don't gain the kind of power he has by not being able to read people. Also, _you_ aren't the best at hiding when something gets on your nerves," Lucy said while they started walking back inside. Just before they reached the door that led back to the guild, Lucy placed a hand on Gajeel's arm and looked up at him. "Look, I'll do what I can to keep him from suspecting anything."

Gajeel's eyebrows drew together as he looked at her and then he felt a small piece of paper being slid into his hand. His curiosity was piqued, so Gajeel opened it up and saw an address written in some seriously stylistic handwriting. "The fuck is this?" he asked.

Lucy sighed and shook her head. "My address, you stupid cheese-grater," she said in exasperation. "Come by whenever you feel like… venting." She winked at Gajeel's dumbfounded expression, her fingers dancing along his abs, then turned and walked inside.

Gajeel looked down at the paper again, reading over the short address over and over until it was memorized, then he tore the little thing to shreds and crammed it in his pocket to deal with later on. Running a hand through his hair, Gajeel growled and decided that he needed to work off some of his own frustration, so he turned back to the training grounds and got to work on slaughtering training dummies.

Lucy was standing in front of Master Jose's door. She swallowed down her nerves and forced herself back into a more subdued version of the heiress she was raised to be, then knocked. "It's Lucy, Master," she said to the questioning voice on the other side of the door, "I was told you wanted to speak with me."

"Come in."

Lucy opened the door and peeked around it with a sweet smile, then made her way in and silently shut it behind her. She walked across the office to stand in front of Master Jose's desk, then waited for him to address her.

"You can sit down, Lucy," Jose said while he watched her standing in front of him as if she hadn't a care in the world. She always greeted him the same way—a sweet smile when she saw him, an exchange of normal pleasantries, and then she would wait in complete silence until he told her what he wanted—and that day was no different. Lucy bowed slightly and took her seat, but she still didn't say a word. "How was your time away with Gajeel?" Jose asked.

"Do you want the truth?" Lucy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course," Jose said with a smile.

"Gajeel's a huge fucking dildo and I hope someone finds a way to lure him into a smelting furnace so he can die a slow and painful death," Lucy said with a sadistic grin. She watched Jose show a small bit of surprise for half a second before he masked it, then added, "However, your intention for him to train me was successful. I can't stand him in the slightest, and he was a real asshole when it came time to teach me, but I learned a lot."

"So, you two don't get along still?"

Lucy laughed humorlessly and shook her head. "No. We got into a fist-fight every day during workouts and pretty much anything else because I apparently 'can't shut my goddamn mouth for half a second'."

"And how was it working with him during the mission?" Jose asked.

"He was a dick when we were meeting with the client. The guy said I shouldn't be there because I was a woman, so Gajeel agreed to let him kick me out of the room. I was still able to hear everything that was being said, so I didn't miss any crucial information," Lucy said with a sneer. "During the mission itself—fighting the barghests and afterwards—Gajeel was just like any partner should be. We focused on the job, killed the targets, and got our reward."

"I was informed you were injured," Jose said softly, leaning forward and looking at Lucy with feigned concern.

Lucy sighed and nodded, then said, "Yeah, two snuck up on us. Gajeel took the first one, and I took the second. It bit my arm, but I called out Virgo and we were able to take it down without an issue. She had to stitch me up afterwards, but it wasn't a big deal."

"You know, our guild doesn't buy into that Fairy Tail ideal of loving one another as family," Jose said with a sour look on his face that softened as he continued, "But, it does help to have at least one person you trust."

"I know, Master," Lucy said softly, lowering her head in shame. "It's just hard to trust people when they could just use me for their own personal gain."

"Well, what about him?" Jose asked, leaning back in his chair. "You two spent quite a bit of time together, how much do you trust Gajeel?"

"About as far as I can throw him," Lucy ground out. _Why is he asking me all of this stuff?_ She sighed and looked up at Jose when he chuckled, then let a small smile out. "I trust him enough to sleep within ten feet of him while we're in the woods. Then again, that was more for my own safety against anything out there, since he scares everything off."

Jose laughed and nodded. "Yes, I can see how that would be a smart move. But what about otherwise?"

"Master, he's a pompous, egotistical, arrogant sack of shit. I'd rather shove six dozen rusty knives up my ass than have to deal with his grating voice constantly nagging about me being a whiny bitch," Lucy said. "Working with someone for an extended period of time will form some sort of trust, especially during a mission. So, yes. I trust him to a point. Do I think he's some knight in shining armor that will whisk me off to a safe place every time I'm in some shit? No, he'd be on the sidelines laughing his ass off and calling me a pussy. I know you ordered him not to kill me or let me get killed, so that's the only reason that I'm not already dead. I don't trust him with my life, but I know for the sake of the guild's reputation that he'd help if he had to."

"So, what are you trying to say, Lucy?"

Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes, then said, "I'm trying to say that I trust Gajeel to finish the job he's been assigned, just like any other member of the guild. He and I hate one each other, so there's only so much that being stuck together can do."

Jose looked at her for a long moment. He hadn't seen any form of deceit from her in the slightest, not even that she was hiding something from him with her answers. They had seemed a little vague at first, but every time she spoke it only seemed to further iterate what she was trying to tell him—she and Gajeel couldn't stand one another. "Very well, Lucy," he said softly. "I have a mission for you."

"Of course," Lucy said with a smile.

"I need you to do some reconnaissance for us," Jose said with a devious grin. "Gajeel says your tactics come naturally to you. I need you to pay a visit to Magnolia and scout the Fairy Tail guild hall. See if you can find any weaknesses. Don't let them see your guild mark in the event you're caught, otherwise they'll probably torture you to try and get information out of you about our guild."

"Do you want only the weaknesses of the building or the members themselves?" Lucy asked.

"I'd rather you didn't interact with them directly if you can avoid it. Just scout the area, make note of their movements and when they close and open. Things like that. If you find any weak links, make note of them and bring the information back here. You have one week from the time you reach Magnolia, and I expect to see you back here."

"I understand, Master," Lucy said with a grin that rivalled his. "I'll do my best." She stood up when he nodded and dismissed her, then made her way out into the main guild hall. The distinct crunching of metal could be heard just as she opened the door from his office, so once Lucy was at the balcony, her eyes met with Gajeel's for a brief second then she started walking down the stairs. Without looking back, Lucy said just loud enough for him to hear her, "Meet me at my place tonight at eight. I'll explain later." Lucy didn't wait to see if he acknowledged her and agreed to it, since she didn't want to draw attention to herself of Gajeel, and walked out the door to head to her own home to pack for her newest mission.

* * *

><p><strong>And that's all for the chapter. What did you guys think of seeing that other side of Gajeel?<strong>

**Recap: **

**-More from Lemon Lake**

**-Gajeel cracks jokes about Lucy's mental health**

**-Fighting and the grungiest anger-bang I've ever written**

**-A little Dragon Slayer info (apparently, biting each other like that **_**without**_** transferring magic makes them high as hell)**

**-Gajeel and Lucy being adorable because they're too messed up to try and hide it from each other**

**-Gajeel being a sweetheart and watching the sunrise with Lucy**

**-Lucy teaches him about the stars**

**-These two are in some **_**serious**_** denial about their relationship… They're both ignoring what they said in the rain... -.-**

**-Lucy goes to Gajeel's house, and they're kinda cutesy again**

**-And… Jose's up to something!**

**So! Review, Follow, Favorite! I love you guys!~~GemNika.**


	6. Her House

**A/N: Alright everyone. Thanks for the great reviews last chapter! This next chapter is obviously much shorter than what I normally give you guys, but it's just a little filler. Next chapter will focus on Lucy's mission to scout out Fairy Tail, and I didn't want to detract from what happens in this chapter by combining them. Also, that just means you guys get a little something sooner rather than later. I hope you enjoy!**

**(I don't own Fairy Tail…)**

* * *

><p>"<em>I understand, Master," Lucy said with a grin that rivalled his. "I'll do my best." She stood up when he nodded and dismissed her, then made her way out into the main guild hall. The distinct crunching of metal could be heard just as she opened the door from his office, so once Lucy was at the balcony, her eyes met with Gajeel's for a brief second then she started walking down the stairs. Without looking back, Lucy said just loud enough for him to hear her, "Meet me at my place tonight at eight. I'll explain later." Lucy didn't wait to see if he acknowledged her and agreed to it, since she didn't want to draw attention to herself of Gajeel, and walked out the door to head to her own home to pack for her newest mission.<em>

~.~

Lucy unpacked her bag and then quickly re-packed it. She considered packing her usual clothes, but decided that she needed to make sure her guild mark was hidden and that she could stay inconspicuous. Most of her clothing was a little extreme or scandalous, but Lucy was still able to find several regular shirts that would do the job. Once she had packed all the necessary items she would need, Lucy figured she would also call Virgo or Cancer to give her some makeup that could cover her guild mark in the event that her shirt was torn or heaven forbid missing. Once she found a safe place to observe the guild hall from, Lucy would summon Crux and see if he could give her any information on it—it was a long shot, but she was willing to make the attempt. Once everything was set, with her bag packed and sitting by the door with her boots and a jacket, Lucy decided she might as well try and get some form of writing done. She had spent over a month away from her home, and was glad that she'd maintained the practice of being two months ahead in rent when she returned only to remember that she'd forgotten to tell her landlord she would be gone for a while. She pulled out an envelope and quickly addressed it to the older man, then wrote her name and apartment number along with the reason for her payment (even though he knew why she was giving him money, she liked to help him with keeping his books in order just in case he needed it) on a piece of paper. She put her rent money and the note inside of the envelope, sealed it, then took it down to the first floor and slid it into his mail slot.

Once Lucy was back inside, she looked at the time and realized it was already three in the afternoon. That would give her a few hours to write before she needed to go to the store and pick up enough food for dinner that night, breakfast the next day, and a few snacks for her trip to Magnolia. _Maybe I should go to the store first, _she thought. She had a habit of losing track of time while she was writing, and really didn't want to have to starve because it was too late to get anything when she finally pulled away from her depressing attempt at a novel. With a sigh, Lucy put her boots back on and walked out of her apartment, double-checking to make sure she had her keys, then made her way to the store just around the corner.

An hour later, Lucy arrived back home with her groceries and made quick work of putting everything away and setting the meat she had bought to marinate. Finally, Lucy stretched and sat down at her desk, hoping to find the inspiration she needed to turn her novel around. She read through the previous pages she'd written and realized that not only had her romance novel become a tragedy, it was a train wreck with no plot whatsoever and completely flat characters. "Ugh!" Lucy groaned, throwing the papers in the air and watching them slowly float down onto the floor. "This is just sad."

She stood up, pacing back and forth and walking over the papers strewn across the floor while she tried to come up with some way to save her work. Back and forth. Back and forth. Over and over in her living room. Her heroine was missing something important, but she couldn't place what it was. Originally, she was supposed to leave her kingdom on a quest to save her people from a curse—not the most original plot, but it was supposed to be a writing exercise to start Lucy off on the right track—and would meet both a hero and anti-hero along the way and form a small group with them as they continued on her journey. There was no romance, and that was what Lucy had wanted to write. They spoke with one another, had deep and meaningful conversations, but they were all just there. The journey itself didn't have any form of adversity. There was no drama, and maybe that was the problem. "I haven't given them anything as a driving force to keep going!" Lucy shouted her epiphany. She scrambled around on the floor, wildly sweeping the pages together into a messy pile. When she tapped a small portion of the papers on the floor to organize them, she hissed in pain when one sheet caught the juncture between her thumb and forefinger in a minor papercut.

Rolling her eyes, Lucy dropped them and walked into the bathroom, then started running water over her hand. She looked at herself in the mirror, saw that she was still wearing a turtleneck that covered the two bites Gajeel had left on her that day in the rain—along with several dark hickeys and a few scrapes from his teeth the night before—and wiped her hands off before removing her shirt. Lucy raised a hand to her neck, lightly tracing the bite wound and smiling at the memory of just how amazing it had felt to have him do it. She brought her other hand up and repeated the action on the opposite side where the bite was closer to her shoulder. They had already scabbed up, each nearly the exact same shape and size, but she could tell that he'd bitten her harder the second time with how much larger the punctures were. Instead of a normal bite mark like the one she'd left on him, she was finally noticing just how different Gajeel's teeth were. They were definitely sharper than her own, and she knew his jaw was much stronger since he ate through metal like it was nothing, but Lucy had never realized that they were actually perfectly straight or how each tooth ended in a small point with slightly elongated canines. The proof was literally written in her flesh, with an already faded bruise around the healing skin.

Lucy continued on her perusal of the marks left in Gajeel's wake from their time together, heat slowly washing through her and bringing a blush to her cheeks as she recalled just when each one had happened. How his teeth had scraped against her chest while he was plunging into her with a growl, the euphoric aftermath from those two bites that had been intensified for her since she had more than one, each dark oval on her chest and shoulders from when he had to remember not to bite her again and settled for suckling her flesh. While she looked at herself, thinking of how few times a man had actually left some sort of mark on her during sex, Lucy realized that what was happening with Gajeel was nearly always primal and animalistic. Something about him made her lose her mind completely, turning into a wild sex fiend that begged for more even after their lust was sated. She had always wanted to find someone that could bring out her wilder side, and had one to match it, but she never thought it would have been Gajeel of all people. "That's what they need," she said softly, "Wild and untamed. To lose themselves so completely that they're forced to rediscover who they are."

With a wide grin, Lucy went to her desk, forgetting that she wasn't wearing a shirt any longer and that she hadn't picked up the rest of the papers from the floor, and sat down with a fresh sheet of paper. She had found her muse, and it just so happened to be her own inner vixen that was making her presence known. After what only felt like a few minutes, Lucy looked up at the clock and saw that it was almost seven-thirty. Gajeel was supposed to be there at eight (or sometime around then) and she still hadn't started cooking. With a small gasp, she put away her writing materials, and when she stood up smacked herself in the forehead once she saw the other papers still strewn across the floor. She pulled them all into a pile, then _carefully_ tapped them so they were organized and set them all down on her desk. She got right to work on slow-cooking the meat she'd been marinating, thankful that she'd had the foresight to at least do that, and after a few minutes put the rice on to cook.

Just as Lucy was pulling two plates down from her cabinet, with only a minute or so before the food was ready, there was a knock at her door. "Who is it?" she called out from the kitchen, laughing when she heard the distinctive annoyed growl that only came from one man. "Come on in, Gajeel!"

Gajeel rolled his eyes and opened the door, stopping dead in his tracks when the scent of delicious food he'd picked up from the street came washing over him. Steak, steamed vegetables smothered in butter and herbs, and white rice. _Holy shit that smells good._ Finally shaking himself from his stupor, Gajeel closed the door and kicked his boots off at the door next to Lucy's, then took a quick glance at her apartment as he made his way to where the smell of food was the strongest. Her apartment was a lot like his own even down to the lack of decorations on the walls: she had only what she needed. It was a simple studio apartment with dark blue walls, a writing desk in one corner with a completely filled bookshelf next to it, a bed along one wall with a nightstand and a dresser, and a simple dining set in the center of the room. There was an archway on the left that led to the kitchen, and two doors on the right by the desk that had to be a bathroom and closet. What Gajeel found interesting was that the color of her bedspread was a deep ruby color, almost the same color as her guild mark. "You know you didn't have to cook, Bunny," Gajeel said as he rounded the corner to walk into the kitchen.

"Well, I haven't eaten dinner yet, and you can eat everything under the sun," Lucy shot back with a smirk, her back turned to Gajeel while she stirred the rice on the stove.

"Do you always cook shirtless?" Gajeel asked, grinning when she visibly stiffened and looked down at herself. He stifled a laugh when she shrugged and went back to work, dishing up two plates and handing him the one that had three times the portion size of her own on it.

"Go on, I'll be out in a minute," Lucy giggled, waving him away while she turned off the stove. She rolled her eyes when she heard him making his way back to the dining table, quietly chuckling and talking about her being insane. Once he was out of the archway, Lucy turned around and grabbed two beers from the refrigerator along with silverware for both of them, then walked out to see Gajeel already sitting at the table with a fork and waiting for her. "Where'd you get a fork from?" she asked with a light laugh as she set everything down, passing him both beers so he could open them and eat the bottle caps.

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her and said, "I'm pretty sure you don't want me eating your cutlery—I have a habit of doing that, you know."

"So, you made a fork?"

"Yeah, I can't eat my own iron," Gajeel answered. His eyes had been trained on her hips while she stood by the table, and they stayed there when she set everything down and walked past him towards her closet to grab a shirt. "No need to get dressed up for me, Bunny Girl."

"Hilarious," Lucy sighed, "I'm putting a shirt on so you can focus on eating, asshole." She quickly pulled on a tank top that ended just under her belly button, then walked back over to the table and sat down.

Gajeel's eyes roved up her body while she sat down, and stopped dead when he saw her chest and neck. He'd never really paid attention to how often he bit or sucked on her while they were having sex, and afterwards he never took notice of it because she was usually partially covered. This time, after seeing her in that shirt in the morning that hid the marks he'd left on her, every single one on Lucy seemed to pop out more insistently as if they had little neon signs that screamed 'look at me!' The wilder part of him was purring in delight to see that she wasn't ashamed of what he did, but the sane part of him—the human side—actually felt bad about it. "Shit, Bunny…" he muttered frowning when he looked from the hickeys to the scratches and landed on the bites again and again, "Didn't realize I got that crazy…"

Lucy tilted her head to the side and pushed her eyebrows together in confusion. "What are you talking about?" she asked, not realizing what had caught his attention.

"You look like you've been mauled," Gajeel said with a scowl.

Lucy looked down at her chest, bringing a hand up to run across the marks he'd left, then smiled at Gajeel. "It's alright, Gajeel. Really, I don't mind."

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her when she instantly dismissed it and started eating. "You're kidding, right?"

Lucy giggled and shook her head while she was chewing. Once she swallowed the bite of food, she said, "No, it's actually some pretty good inspiration for my story. Now, eat."

Gajeel felt like he was in some crazy parallel universe right then. Lucy was smiling like it wasn't a big deal, when in his own experience any woman that had half that many marks on her would have been screaming her head off at him for doing it.

When Lucy saw Gajeel sitting completely still and staring at her neck, she sighed and stood up to walk over to him. She smiled at him when he finally looked up into her eyes, then leaned down to capture his lips in a soft kiss. "It's fine," she whispered between kisses while one hand reached out to grab the fork he'd made and stabbed a strip of steak. She pulled back and pushed his chin down so his mouth was open, then put the food in his mouth and giggled when he glared at her. "Eat, Gajeel. We can talk about it later if it's really that big of a deal."

"You're lucky you're a good fucking cook," Gajeel grumbled, pulling the fork out of his mouth and trying to hold in his reaction to just how wonderful her cooking was. The pair ate in silence, with Lucy mentioning that there was still one more 'dragon-sized' serving left if he was still hungry. When he'd given her a questioning glance, she had simply laughed and said that he eats a lot, so she made extra. It was strange to not only have a chick he was just fucking decide she was going to cook for him, but that she was going to make way too much food knowing just how much he could actually take in. The part of his brain that was keeping a tight leash on whether or not he needed to bail from what he had with Lucy was reeling at the seemingly domestic action, screaming out that this was practically a date that she had tricked him into. He felt like a total loon, having an inner debate with himself about whether or not she was trying to get more than just a physical relationship out of him, and eventually decided that he would figure out if he needed to end it once he was actually sure of any ulterior motive; for the time being, he was just going to sit back and enjoy eating a delicious meal with a hot blonde. Finally, when all of the food was gone and the dishes were being soaked in the sink, Gajeel and Lucy were sitting on her bed with a deck of cards between them. "Alright, Bunny," Gajeel said while he dealt out another hand for Rummy, "What did you want me to come by for?"

"Master's sending me on a mission for the guild tomorrow," Lucy said with a sigh. "I'll be gone for the next week."

"What's the mission? Wait, did he say you needed to keep it a secret?" Gajeel asked cautiously.

Lucy frowned and thought over what Master Jose had said. "No, he didn't say anything about keeping it from anyone. Then again, he might not think that I've really got anyone to tell since I've got him convinced that I only trust you enough to know that you'll do the job you're assigned and not murder me in my sleep."

Gajeel chuckled and shook his head, throwing down a solid run and discarding before he said, "Well, what's the mission?"

"Recon," Lucy answered, frowning when she didn't have any matches. "Scouting, finding weak points in the infrastructure, weak links in the people around. That sort of thing."

Gajeel's eyes narrowed and he asked, "Where?"

"Magnolia."

"He's having you scout out Fairy Tail, isn't he?"

Lucy nodded, not noticing the hard glint in Gajeel's gaze. "Yeah. He says I've got one week to finish it from the time I get to Magnolia, and that I have to keep my guild mark hidden. He wants to know about when they open and close, their movements, weak links. Like I said, simple recon."

"Did he say to stay away from them?" Gajeel asked.

"Master said to avoid interacting with them directly, why?"

"Take him seriously on it, Bunny," Gajeel said softly while he laid out a pair then discarded again. "They're our enemies, so don't get yourself caught. Stay as far out of sight as possible. If you even suspect they're onto you, get the hell out of there. They've got this idea that they're a family or some bullshit like that, and they're crazy. There's no telling what they'll do if you get caught spying on them."

"Master said they'll probably torture me to get information about the guild," Lucy mumbled, looking worriedly at Gajeel. "This sounds more like a mission for you. You'd be able to smell them coming from a mile away, and you could hear what they were saying from nearly as far. So, why would he send me instead?"

"It's a test, Bunny," Gajeel answered. "He had me training you to make you stronger, and you're definitely better off now than a month ago. He wants to test your abilities. If you come back without getting caught, and give him solid information? You'll pass. If you get caught and can talk your way out of it, then come back safely with solid information? You'll still probably pass his test, but he won't be happy. Anything less than that and I don't know what he'll do to you."

"Well, that makes me feel better about it," Lucy grumbled sarcastically, dropping her cards lamely on the bed with a sigh.

"What's the reason he gave for picking you for the mission?" Gajeel asked softly.

"He told me that you said I was a natural at tactics," Lucy said with a frown as she thought over all of the implications of what could happen if she was caught.

"You are, Bunny," Gajeel said with a smirk, picking all of the cards up and putting them back in the little cardboard box. "It means he wants you to use your head. Don't go in blind, use what I taught you, keep a low profile, and stay out of sight. Since it's recon, you'll need to use every sense to make sure you don't get caught; that's still something you need to work on, so at least try to remember. Just do what comes naturally when you're looking for information, and you'll be fine… Unless you start yelling at people… Then, I'm not so sure."

Lucy let out a small laugh and smiled up at Gajeel. "You know, for being such a bitch baby all the time, you're pretty good at making me feel better."

"What the fuck is a 'bitch baby'?" Gajeel asked incredulously.

"See what you're doing right now?" Lucy shot back, pointing at him and circling her finger, "_That's_ a bitch baby."

"See? You're fucking insane," Gajeel retorted with a scowl. "Making shit up like a total lunatic."

Lucy laughed again and rolled her eyes, then got off the bed and laid down on the floor to reach under her bed. She grabbed a book and pulled it out, sitting up on her knees with a reminiscent smile then wiping the small bit of dust off of it that had collected on the cover. After sitting back down on the bed, she clutched the book to her chest and looked over at Gajeel. "I wanted to do something, but I don't want you to get all shitty about it," she said with a smirk.

"What is it?"

"I wanted to give you something."

Gajeel blinked, then blinked again. Then his jaw dropped open and not a single thing came to mind on what to say. "Uh… why?" he finally asked.

"Consider it a thank you for helping me out, how about that?" Lucy said with a sweet smile.

"I was ordered to, Bunny Girl. Besides, you did the same for me, so we're even," Gajeel countered uneasily.

"Gajeel, this is what I meant by you 'getting all shitty'," Lucy said, her smile falling a little while she sighed and got ready to accept defeat. "You don't have to give me anything in return, you won't owe me anything. Just let me give this to you, okay?"

"O…kay?" Gajeel said slowly, still staring at Lucy like she had sprouted a second head. He honestly didn't remember a time when he'd been given anything, so the concept of accepting something from Lucy was new and uncomfortable terrain for him.

Lucy beamed at Gajeel, then crawled across the bed and settled herself in his lap just like she had done countless times while they were still in the mountains over the past week. When Gajeel was still completely rigid, she groaned and rolled her eyes at him. "Will you chill the fuck out? It's just a gift. I'm not trying to steal your fucking soul or anything."

_A gift,_ Gajeel thought. Even Metallicana had never given him anything that could be considered a gift by normal standards, with the exception of saving Gajeel's life and teaching him. Never some physical trinket for him to hold onto. He stared at the book still clutched to Lucy's chest, wondering why she would want to give him anything in the first place. He was ordered to train her and get her to trust him, and he'd been sure that everything he'd done up to that point in time was a means to following Master Jose's orders. Something had obviously gone slightly awry in that plan when she had gained his trust as well, and Gajeel had no clue what he was supposed to do. He was baffled by the blonde, and he knew she could see it in his face when her head tilted to the side and she gave him that damn concerned look of hers that he—for whatever reason—couldn't ignore. "What?" he asked gruffly, his body still tense with some unknown anxiety.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked.

Gajeel just kept looking from her eyes to that book, then back.

"You know, I thought dragons loved hoarding possessions," Lucy said, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, so what?"

"So, why are you staring at my gift to you like it's threatening to eat your first-born child?"

Gajeel blanched, fully and truly blanched, at the mental picture of a book eating a baby. "I, uh…" He was still utterly clueless, and getting more confused by the second. He didn't know what to do about her giving him a gift, how to accept it, or what it meant. He was instantly worried that this was starting to head into that dangerous 'more than physical' territory that he'd been trying to avoid, and the part of him that had been yelling at him to hightail it out of there was nodding fervently with his arms crossed and shouting 'I told you so!' over and over.

Lucy giggled and said, "You act like you've never been given a gift before."

Gajeel's eyes snapped to hers and the words shot out before he could stop them. "I haven't." When he saw Lucy's face fall, her light mood instantly disappearing and giving way for her confusion and concern to surface again, Gajeel turned to stare at the stitching pattern on her bedspread. He hadn't meant to tell her that at all. It was something that was far too personal as far as he was concerned. Aside from the slight embarrassment over never experiencing something as simple as receiving a gift, there was a bitterness that started welling up inside of Gajeel while he wondered just why it had never happened. Even if he'd been given some small bauble by Metallicana at some point in his life, Gajeel would have cherished it forever; even more after his father disappeared. Maybe he wouldn't have felt as lonely as he always did if he had something to remember the dragon by, something to look at or hold that would remind him of the good times while he was growing up. It would have been a driving force for him to search more actively for the scaly bastard that abandoned him, just so that Gajeel could kick his ass for doing it. Then again, with everything that had happened, maybe Gajeel would have been too torn up about his abandonment to hold onto something like that. He would have regretted it for the rest of his life if he destroyed something Metallicana had given him in a fit of rage. That little shit of a voice inside of him kept telling him to push her away and leave while he had the chance. To salvage what little of his dignity was left before she got too close to him. Lucy was treading through very dangerous waters while Gajeel's emotions tried to overwhelm him, and it seemed as though nothing would be able to stop him from leaving.

"Wh-What?" she whispered sadly. She was watching Gajeel's face harden by the second while he avoided her gaze, and realized that she was seeing what he looked like when he was embarrassed for the first time since she had met him. "Gajeel…"

"Bunny Girl, it's really not a big deal," Gajeel mumbled, getting himself ready to listen to that little voice. He needed to get out of there. She was pitying him, and he hated it. He wasn't weak, and only the weak needed pity. "I should just—"

"It is," Lucy said softly, leaning slightly to try and get Gajeel to look at her while his jaw clenched and unclenched and his eyes were swimming with emotions. "It's a huge deal…" When the Iron Slayer tensed at her words and moved his hands to push her away from him, Lucy realized her mistake. Those few words were making him angry, but not at her for offering him a gift. He was angry because she was saying it was important, and it was something he'd never experienced. Lucy sighed and put the book down on the bed and shifted so she was kneeling in front of him, then grabbed his face in both of her hands and forced his head up until she could see his eyes. With a gentle smile, Lucy said, "Getting a gift is something special, Gajeel. Regardless of the number of times someone gives you something, it lets you know that they were thinking of you, and wanted you to have something that would remind you of them."

"…"

"Your first gift is important, maybe more important than all the others simply because it's the first," Lucy continued when he just stared at her, his face completely devoid of all emotion while he hid it behind a scowl. She never let her smile falter, and hoped that she was saying what he needed to hear so he could understand her. Originally, her idea of giving him the book was because he had seemed interested in learning about the constellations, and she figured she could help him with it. Now, the idea of giving him _this_ book in particular seemed all the more important to her. "So, will you let me give you a gift?"

"Why, Bunny Girl?" Gajeel asked coldly. "Why would you want to do something like that?"

Lucy flinched at the iciness of his tone, but pushed forward. The importance of what she'd wanted to give him had increased with her determination to help Gajeel. He might not be the nicest guy, and she still had some serious issues with his piss-poor attitude, but everyone deserved some form of happiness at least once. Even if she hated his guts, Lucy still didn't like seeing people suffer. She never had, and she never would. "Well, at first I wanted to give you something that I thought you'd like. Just a nice gesture, that's all…"

"At first?"

Lucy nodded and lightly stroked his cheeks for a moment before she grabbed his hands and turned them so his palms were facing the ceiling. She saw confusion hit him, and wondered why he was suddenly not trying to hide anything, when his brow furrowed and he watched her lean back to grab the book and carefully place it in his hands. Once the book was steady, with Gajeel staring intently at it, Lucy lifted her hands back to his cheeks and pulled his head up again. "Yes, at first," she whispered, "Now that I know it's more important than just a nice gesture, that it's really your first gift, I'll let you in on a secret." Lucy paused and took a deep breath, and kept smiling while she continued. "You seemed interested in learning about the stars before, and I wanted to give you something that could help you learn about them; namely, this book."

"That doesn't sound like a secret," Gajeel said cautiously.

"The secret is that _this_ book was actually my mom's at one point," Lucy said, "She was the most important person in my life while I was growing up, and the reason I even learned about magic in the first place. My mom was everything to me, and when she died a big part of me died with her. All I've got left of her are far too few memories, and little things here and there from the time I spent with her. She gave me this book a couple months before she died so I could keep learning about the stars. All eighty-eight constellations are in there; their stories, what the constellations look like, where they are in the sky, how to find them in relation to others or the North Star, what seasons they're more likely to appear in. Everything you could want to know is in here. It was special to her, just like it's special to me. And I want you to have it."

Gajeel frowned, his eyebrows pushing together while he looked at her. "I… I can't take this…" he said, trying to push the book away from himself and back into Lucy's hands. This was way too much for him to handle. Maybe if it was something insignificant, he could accept it; but he couldn't possibly take a memento like this from her. If it was the other way around, Gajeel would never give up something of Metallicana's for anyone else.

Lucy shook her head and pushed the book back towards Gajeel. "You can. I want you have it, Gajeel. I've memorized that whole book. I know the stories, how to find them, and what they look like. It doesn't hold any new knowledge for me, just the sentimental value of having something that was hers."

"Right, that's why I can't—"

"No," Lucy said more insistently, "That's why you _can_ have it. She would want me to pass this knowledge on to someone else that would appreciate it. To someone that can see the stars as more than what they are. Even if you have this book for the rest of your life, and never pass it on to anyone else, at least there will be one more person in the world that cares even a little bit about them. You understand them, and I know it would make her happy that I gave this to you. Please, Gajeel… Please take it."

Gajeel looked from Lucy back down at the book and saw for the first time how worn the cover and pages were from use. It was well-bound in leather, the pages slightly yellowed from age, and the cover and spine had intricate gold lettering and an elegant border around the title. He lightly traced a finger over the lettering, letting himself get lost in how they were slightly embossed into the leather. _Who would have thought… A book for a dragon…_ Gajeel's heartbeat had become erratic for some reason he couldn't place while he looked at the book. To anyone else, it was just a book. But, it was something deeply important to Lucy, a connection with the one person in her life that was essentially the same as Metallicana for him, and she wanted him to have it; to keep it; to use it. Just like Metallicana had given him knowledge, Lucy was offering essentially the same thing but in a physical form. Gajeel never had anything to pass on to honor Metallicana's memory, even though he was sure that he wouldn't have been willing to part with it, but Lucy did. She wanted to honor her mother's memory by doing something that would have made the woman happy. She was giving him something to treasure just like she had treasured it, and her mother before her. _Treasure, huh?,_ he thought drily as he remembered how often Metallicana had told him about the way dragons hoard treasure and trinkets.

Lucy honestly couldn't have pictured a better reaction from Gajeel while he finally really looked at the book in his hands. Before, when he didn't understand why she wanted him to have it, he had almost seemed afraid of it. Now that he was actually looking at the book, he was lightly tracing the letters just as she had done countless times, just as her own mother had done. He seemed to be in awe of what he held while he mulled over her words, completely lost to the outside world and unaware of every emotion that sat plainly on his face. He seemed to have instantly understood how important it was once she explained everything, and his surprise was evident while he looked down at his gift. Lucy silently slipped off of the bed and walked over to her writing desk. She opened a drawer and pulled out one of her spare bookmarks. It was just a simple inch-wide slip of fabric with a black woven cord on one end, and no special designs on it, but the irony that it was a deep red that happened to match Gajeel's eyes wasn't lost on her. She pulled out a black fine-tipped marker and channeled her inner artist while she drew a small picture on the other end of the bookmark, opposite from the cord. Once she was done, Lucy put the marker back and silently sat back down on the bed as she waited for Gajeel to look away from the book.

"Bunny," he finally whispered, fighting to keep the emotions that had filled him once he realized just how important something like this was out of his voice. "I… I don't know what to say."

Lucy giggled lightly and watched as Gajeel's eyes shot up to hers. She placed her hand gently on top of his, then said, "You say…" She paused and cleared her throat, then deepened her voice as much as possible and tried to do her best impression of Gajeel while she scowled at him. "'Thank you, Bunny. This means a lot.'"

His jaw dropped open and his eyebrows flew up in surprise. "Was that supposed to be me?" he asked.

Lucy laughed and nodded, covering her face with one hand to hide how she had flushed with embarrassment as soon as the words had left her mouth. Sure, she had mimicked Gajeel countless times when she was ranting to herself at home, growling and being a general grump like he usually was, but she had never intended to let him hear her doing it. She carefully peeked between her fingers to see the corner of Gajeel's mouth quirked up into a small smirk. "Was it bad?" she asked sheepishly.

"I don't know," Gajeel said, "I didn't realize I got so red in the face when I talked."

Lucy's other hand flew up to her face and she dropped her head to the bed to hide, and finally heard Gajeel's laughter sounding over her head. "It's not that bad," she mumbled into the comforter.

"Your ears are turning red," Gajeel pointed out. When she squeaked and covered her ears in vain, he could only shake his head and laugh. He carefully put the book down on the nightstand, noticing for the first time that Lucy's belt with her keys and whip were hanging on a hook right next to her bed, then turned back to the small lump of a blonde in front of him. "Come here, Bunny," he chuckled.

Lucy peeked up at Gajeel's face for a moment, seeing the amusement in his eyes at her expense, then slowly uncurled herself from a little ball before moving to sit in his lap again.

Gajeel turned Lucy's face up to his and gently pressed his lips to hers. She was right, it did mean a lot to him. His inner dragon was ecstatic at being given something to treasure, and Gajeel himself actually found that he really appreciated what she had done. The part that kept telling him to run, that this was just one more ploy to bend him to her will and make him fall into a trap, was practically jumping up and down in its anger, pointing at the book and then gesturing to how he was holding her. It shouted again and again that this was a mistake, that she was just using him, that he shouldn't just accept what she said, and started pacing back and forth while it continued ranting. It was screaming that he needed to get out of there as quickly as possible, and Gajeel almost laughed out loud when a mental picture popped into his head of his inner dragon quite literally eating that smug little bastard and shutting him up for good. Once there was just that beast that kept purring happily and patting its full belly, Gajeel barely pulled away, just enough to look into Lucy's eyes and whispered, "Thank you, Bunny. This means a lot."

Lucy blushed and smiled up at him. "Yeah, it sounds better when you say it," she whispered back, "I just can't make myself all growly."

"My voice is growl—You know, I can't even bring myself to say that word…"

Lucy giggled and nodded at him. "Yes, it's very _growly_," she drawled. Before he could even glare at her, Lucy leaned up and kissed him, then pulled back and said, "I have one more thing for you, but it goes with the book, okay?"

Gajeel raised an eyebrow and stayed silent while he handed him a piece of red fabric with a black cord on one end and a small hand-drawn picture on the other. "Okay, two questions… What is this?"

"It's a bookmark," Lucy said plainly, reaching over to the nightstand and grabbing the book. She flipped through the pages, looking for one entry in particular, and said, "Next question."

"Why is there a rabbit on here?"

Lucy bit her lips to stifle her laughter, but one look at Gajeel's curiously amused face broke her resolve. She couldn't help it. She honestly tried to stop, but there was just no way. She made a strange choking noise, then a small tinkling laugh fell out of her mouth, a snort, a giggle, another snort, and then full-on laughter as she held the book up to her face to hide from him.

Gajeel chuckled and said, "Okay, one more question… Is that you laughing or are you in the middle of dying right now?"

"BOTH!" Lucy shrieked, tears streaming down her face while she gasped for air between fits of laughter.

"I'd really rather you didn't die, Bunny," Gajeel said seriously, "I'm not into corpses."

"Oh, thank god!" Lucy shouted, still giggling uncontrollably while she dramatically wiped her brow, "That's just severely decreased my competition!"

"Goddamnit, Bunny," Gajeel said, rolling his eyes at her. This was one of the few times he'd actually seen her really laughing, and Gajeel just couldn't understand why she didn't do it more often. Her smile was brilliant and it took everything he had to keep himself from joining in when he saw it. Over the past month, Gajeel had slowly seen a completely new side of Lucy that he didn't think was even possible in comparison to how they'd met. How could she be so happy and carefree right then, laughing like a lunatic, and then turn into a cold heartless bitch? He couldn't wrap his mind around the two opposing sides of her, and found himself wondering what had made Lucy into the person she was. Gajeel would never admit it out loud, but seeing Lucy smile somehow melted his insides into a soothing calm; one that he never wanted to let go of—whatever that meant. When she had finally relaxed enough, he held the bookmark up and looked at her expectantly. "The rabbit?"

"Right," Lucy said, forcing her face to be serious before she smiled at him. "Just a reminder of who gave it to you."

"I doubt I'd forget something like that, little Bunny" Gajeel said with a smirk.

"Well, if you ever get amnesia then you'll see a picture of a bunny and maybe it'll jog your memory," Lucy said nonchalantly with a shrug. On the inside, Lucy's stomach had done some strange little flutter at the way he was looking at her. Even when the two of them were able to joke around without aggravating the other, Gajeel's eyes still held a hardness and distance to them. Right then, when Lucy looked into those ruby eyes, she saw them soften considerably and warmth bloomed in her chest only to spread through her like molasses. She felt the faintest traces of a blush starting to blossom on her cheeks, and seriously hoped that he would see it as an effect of her hysterical laughter and nothing more, since she didn't even know why it was happening.

"That is the most ridiculous thing you've said all day."

"No," Lucy said with a wide grin, "The most ridiculous thing I've said all day was earlier when I was talking with Master. He kept asking how much I trusted you, and I'm pretty sure he was trying to get me to say something nice about you… So, I told him the exact opposite!"

"What did you say?" Gajeel asked warily. "You know he's good at telling when someone's lying."

"That's the best part! I wasn't lying!" Lucy said happily. "I told him that I'd rather shove six dozen rusty knives up my ass than have to deal with your grating voice constantly nagging about me being a whiny bitch."

"Fucking hell, Bunny Girl!" Gajeel shuddered while he stared at her wide-eyed. "That's a lot of rusty knives… Didn't realize I warranted _six_ dozen. Maybe half a dozen…"

"See? You understand!" Lucy said. "The six dozen part was ridiculous, because you're right… it's closer to six rusty knives. Everything else, yeah pretty much sums you up in a shit-covered nutshell."

"I swear, you come up with the most descriptive insults I've ever heard," Gajeel mumbled. When Lucy laughed again, he smirked at her and added, "A shit-covered nutshell… And last week you called me a gold-plated shit gibbon… You're fucking twisted."

Lucy frowned for a moment, and said, "You know, 'gold-plated' wasn't the right word." She paused then grinned at Gajeel. "Iron-plated would have been more appropriate."

"Damn right," Gajeel nodded, then leaned down to kiss her cheek. "No way in hell would I be caught dead walking around covered in gold. Besides, iron is stronger."

"Very true," Lucy said as she cuddled closer to Gajeel, "Gold has to be mixed with things like copper, silver, and even iron just to decrease its malleability so it can be used for something as simple as jewelry. Iron can stand on its own without the addition of any other metals and still remain unyielding. Then again, even iron can be made stronger if you add carbon to it, because then it becomes steel."

Gajeel gaped at Lucy, his eyes wide and eyebrows raised in utter shock. "How the fuck do you even know that?"

Lucy blushed and grimaced. She didn't want to disclose how she was raised because she wanted to leave it all behind, even if there were random times that she remembered the studies that had been drilled into her head by her tutors over the years. Honestly, it didn't matter to her if Gajeel knew that she was technically an heiress, but she didn't want him or anyone else to treat her differently because of who her father was. "Um… I like to read a lot."

"And you read about metal, when?" Gajeel asked slowly, wondering if she had done research on it because of him. If that was the case, half of him would have been worried about her being a stalker, and the other half would have fully enjoyed it.

Lucy tilted her head to the side while she tried to remember when she'd learned about the elements in her science studies. "Maybe when I was… nine? Or ten? I can't really remember."

"Shit, who knew you could have huge tits _and_ a brain," Gajeel muttered incredulously, earning him an elbow to the gut.

"Ass," Lucy grumbled while she looked down at the book in her hands, then smiled and lightly stroked the page with a picture of a dragon. She carefully took the bookmark from Gajeel and laid it on the open pages, then whispered, "Now you'll know how to find him."

"That's why you did it," Gajeel said after she put the book back on the nightstand. "So I could see him again?"

Lucy bit her lip and nodded at him. "Just in case I'm not there with you to point Draco out, you'll know how to find him."

Finally, Gajeel wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tightly to his chest, letting himself get lost in her scent while he nestled his nose in her hair. "Thanks, Bunny," he whispered gratefully.

"No problem," Lucy whispered back, with a soft smile on her face.

* * *

><p>Gajeel was ripped out of his black void of sleep by the smell of food and a soft humming sound coming from the kitchen. His eyes stayed closed while he took in his surroundings, but he already knew exactly where he was based on the fact that Lucy's scent was surrounding him more than just from her lying next to him. While Gajeel laid there, perfectly content to soak up as much of the sweet smell of the blonde mixed with that aromatic concoction she was making, he thought about the previous night and wondered what it would mean for the two of them.<p>

~.~

After Lucy had given him the book, they ended up laying down on the bed and actually just talking to one another. They swapped stories about missions, where Lucy was much more interested in hearing about his own than telling him about hers, and she explained that he had much more experience so there were more stories for him to tell in general. They didn't even try to bring up anything about their pasts, or much more about themselves, and he didn't really mind it in the least. Eventually, Lucy had picked up the constellation book and handed it to Gajeel, telling him to go ahead and pick a random page and tell her about the constellations. He hadn't realized it at the time, but she had suckered him into reading her the most ridiculous version of a bedtime story imaginable.

Once Lucy was asleep, Gajeel had put the book down on the nightstand again and silently got out of her bed. He'd look around her apartment, unsure of what he was supposed to do, and when he'd looked back down at her sleeping face something deep inside of him was pulling him back to her. The shitty little voice that had called out all of those warnings didn't make a peep when he took a slow step closer to her, and when Gajeel remembered the mental picture he'd had of the dragon eating it Gajeel couldn't help but sigh. He was officially on his own when it came to figuring out what to do. He had run his hands through his hair again and again, then looked back down at her. Lucy was lying on top of her comforter in a tank top and a skirt, with the skirt itself doing absolutely nothing to hide her bare ass underneath it. With a sigh, Gajeel walked over to her and slowly unzipped her skirt, then shrugged as he reached up and unclasped her bra since she'd told him before how uncomfortable it actually was to wear the thing while she was sleeping. He slid one strap down her arm, then carefully rolled her onto her back so he could get the other strap down as well. Once he slowly extracted the lacy blue material that matched the little slip of fabric covering her sex, he couldn't help but take in just how she looked while he pulled the blanket up over her. Her pigtails from that morning were still somehow intact, and Gajeel almost left them in place until he realized that he wasn't actually planning on leaving; if he was going to sleep next to her, he'd rather her hair wasn't tied back so her scent could wash over him again and again. After all of that, the moment he'd seen how she looked while she was under the covers had Gajeel utterly flabbergasted at both his instant decision that he wasn't going anywhere and the realization that she looked lonely and he _wanted_ to be there when she woke up.

After removing the small elastic bands from Lucy's hair, putting her clothes in a hamper that he'd missed before, and turning off the lights Gajeel walked back over to the bed and stripped down to his boxers. He and Lucy had slept next to each other nearly every night since her last nightmare in the woods, and it was only the past week that had gotten him used to feeling her bare skin against his no matter where he touched her. Needless to say, that one week of falling asleep together after sex had become his routine, and how he was able to judge whether or not it was still in the arbitrary 'green zone' he'd created in his head. As far as he was concerned, sleeping next to her naked after sex meant waking up naked and having more sex, and he was perfectly fine with that. This time was different in more ways than one. They hadn't had sex, they were still partially clothed, she had fallen asleep with him reading to her, and they were in her apartment where she was the most comfortable. Not to mention the fact that she'd cooked him dinner, they'd had a normal conversation without arguing with one another, and she'd given him the first gift he'd ever gotten. Then there was his recent realization that he wanted to be around her, and even how he'd felt when she was happy and laughing. Gajeel sensed a shift in what he and Lucy were, definitely noticing that it was something more than just physical but still unsure what was making it more than that. It was easy to see the physical side of their relationship, but the other stuff that happened between them had him questioning whether it was friendly or romantic. He'd never been interested in either, so he couldn't begin to distinguish them.

All Gajeel knew was that the beast inside of him purred louder as he settled himself under the covers, and louder still when Lucy hummed softly and rolled over to wrap her arm around his waist with a sliver of a smile on her lips. He'd immediately wrapped his arms around her while he got comfortable, and unconsciously nestled his nose in her hair while he drifted off to sleep.

~.~

The light scraping of a rubber utensil against a pan brought Gajeel out of his memory of the night before, and he listened intently to try and figure out what Lucy was doing. He could hear the sizzling of bacon, a small sloshing of water that could only mean she was washing dishes, and that same humming he'd heard before. He honed in on that last noise, wondering why he couldn't place what it was or where exactly it was coming from, and felt like an idiot when he realized that it was Lucy. Humming to herself. And it was a song he actually knew. How she had managed to make something by Guns N' Roses sound like a lullaby was beyond him, but Gajeel didn't really mind it. Her voice was melodic and light, carefully flitting from note to note in perfect pitch while she went about her tasks in the kitchen. _I didn't realize she even liked music._

Lucy smiled while she set everything out on the table, both of their plates already dished up along with drinks and utensils—an iron fork for Gajeel since she'd washed the one he had used the night before so he wouldn't need to make another—then looked over at her bed to see that he had rolled over onto his stomach and his face was buried in her pillows. She sat herself down on the edge of the bed, marveling at how the hulking man could easily dwarf it just by stretching out completely, and placed her hand lightly on his shoulder. "Gajeel," she said while she shook him, "Food."

"Mm," Gajeel grunted, having been lulled back to sleep by her scent from the pillows when he rolled over and her humming filtering into his ears.

"If you're done sniffing my pillows like a creeper, there's food on the table," Lucy said with a light laugh.

"…"

When he didn't move in the slightest, Lucy smirked and stood up to stand a few feet away from the bed so he couldn't make a grab for her. "Well, I guess if you won't get up I'll just put my clothes back on."

"…"

_Seriously?_ Lucy frowned and shook her head, then moved back over to the bed. With a devious grin, she slowly crawled over to Gajeel and straddled his lower back with her back towards his head. "Are you awake?" she asked sweetly. When there was no response, Lucy's grin turned wicked and she used one hand to slide down the waistband of his boxers so one deliciously muscular cheek of his backside was bared. "Gajeel?" she crooned with the same sweet voice while she raised her hand high in the air.

"…"

Lucy brought her hand down sharply onto the bare skin as hard as she could, vaulting off of the startled and grumpy mage in a vain attempt at gaining freedom only to be roughly pulled back to him and then tucked underneath him on the bed. She was surprised that he wasn't actually crushing her, since his leg was thrown over hers and her face was pressed against his neck; the guy was quite literally lying on top of Lucy, but it seemed as though he didn't weigh a ton and a half like she knew he did. _How in the hell…?!_

"Don't spank me, Bunny," Gajeel muttered, "I'm awake."

"How long have you been awake for?" Lucy asked incredulously.

Gajeel grinned, keeping his eyes closed and his nose in the pillows, and said, "Since you decided to try getting all kinky. You're a perverted little Bunny. Never knew you had it in you."

"Oh, shut up," Lucy grumbled with a blush. "That's not what I was doing. I just knew it would wake you up."

"Surrrrre," Gajeel teased, squeezing her lightly when she started moving around. "Stop squirming, Bunny."

"Gajeel, why are you using me as a teddy bear?" Lucy asked while she tried to wriggle out from beneath him. _How did he get me under the damn __**blanket**__ with him that fast?!_

"You're a bunny, not a bear." Gajeel yawned and stretched, still not letting Lucy out of his grasp, and smirked when he heard her sighing in defeat while he snuggled closer to her.

"You have got to be the cuddliest little thing ever," Lucy teased.

"You know there's not a damn thing about me that's little."

Lucy smirked and said, "You didn't deny being cuddly."

Gajeel shrugged. "No point denying it. The 'little' thing on the other hand…"

"True, you have _no_ idea how sore I was after we left that waterfall."

Gajeel frowned and squeezed her again, then said, "You never said anything."

Lucy smiled and kissed his neck, the only place she could reach, and said, "Well, you never asked. Besides, it was definitely worth it."

Gajeel couldn't stop frowning when he realized that she was right. He'd never asked her if she was okay afterwards, even though he'd let himself lose control with her. Granted, he didn't usually care to ask if the chick he was with was hurt at all, because they were just a hole for him to fill until he got off. Something about Lucy being in pain really didn't sit well with Gajeel, and the fact that _he_ was the cause of it made his stomach churn. Regardless of how much Lucy enjoyed it, he didn't want to hurt her while they were having sex. "Bunny…" he whispered. "Tell me if I hurt you, okay? Even if I don't ask…"

"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked, furrowing her brow and trying to look up at his face.

"Well, apparently I hurt you before," Gajeel mumbled, "And then all the marks on you. I don't have to be so rough with you… I don't want you to think you have to do that just for us to keep fucking."

"Gajeel," Lucy whispered in confusion. She had no idea where his concern was suddenly coming from. It was nice to hear him say that he didn't want to hurt her, and that if she needed him to be gentler he would, but she couldn't place why he seemed so upset all of a sudden. "You didn't _hurt_ me, I was sore. There's a difference."

"How so?"

Lucy sighed and kissed his neck again, then carefully slid her arms around his waist and rubbed slow circles on his back to try and ease the tension in him. "Yes, you were rough and wild, and downright fucking sexy when you let go and really fucked my brains out. But I would have been sore even if we'd just fucked normally. Think about it. That monstrous _pierced_ piece of equipment you're sporting, and my—according to you—virgin-tight hoo-ha. Kind of a given."

"Did you just call your pussy a 'hoo-ha'?"

Lucy giggled and nodded. "Yep. But seriously, I'm fine. And I was fine that day. If it really mattered, I would have said something—most likely bitching you out for tearing my shit up."

Gajeel sighed, feeling at least a little relieved especially with how her fingers were pushing on knots in his back he never knew existed, then asked, "And the marks?"

"I seem to recall _telling_ you—and then practically _forcing_ you—to bite me that first time," Lucy countered. "And with the second one, I bit you too. The scratches? You leave those all the time, and they go away in a day or so; you've got sharp teeth, so I can't really fault you for it. The hickeys?" Lucy shrugged. "I don't mind them. Besides, I know that you're doing that instead of biting me again, so I get it."

"How in the hell are you just okay with that?" Gajeel asked.

Lucy just shrugged again. "I don't know. It doesn't bother me. I'll tell you what though. Just looking at them yesterday before you came over got me all hot and bothered. Like I said, it's great inspiration for my story. Now the damn thing doesn't seem like a total train wreck."

"You'll tell me though, right?" Gajeel asked softly. "If I hurt you?"

Lucy nodded and turned her head a little to kiss his collar bone. "I'll tell you. If I need something, I'll let you know." After a moment, she added, "And, by the way, I like it when you're rough, so don't start worrying about me doing that because you want to. I'm a selfish little bitch sometimes."

Gajeel chuckled and squeezed her again. "Guess I can't really argue with that…" He sighed contentedly and let Lucy's fingers work some ungodly form of magic on his back while he finally relaxed again. With the impromptu massage she was giving him, feeling her body pressed against his, and the way her scent filled every breath he took, Gajeel was slowly being lulled into the most relaxed state he could ever remember being in. Just as he was about to start drifting off to sleep, he heard her voice. _Damn, so close._

"You know, breakfast is ready," Lucy said.

"I know."

"So, what are you waiting for? Get over to the table and eat."

"Waiting for you to say good morning," Gajeel taunted, his words being muffled by the pillows.

"Well, I can't do that from down here." Lucy smiled when Gajeel finally rolled onto his side and loosened his grip on her, his hands slowly caressing her back. She slid up until she could reach his lips, and the corners of her mouth turned up when he leaned down to capture her lips first. "Good morning, Gajeel," Lucy whispered once she pulled back.

"Morning, Bunny," Gajeel answered. "It's official, your bed's better than mine."

Lucy laughed when Gajeel snuggled closer while lying on his side, and still didn't open his eyes. "What makes you say that?"

"My bed doesn't smell like you," Gajeel said, slowly opening his eyes to see a light blush on her cheeks.

"Well, get a good whiff now, weirdo," Lucy said with a smirk, "I've gotta leave for the train station at ten, and you won't be smelling me for a week."

"Trust me, I know," Gajeel muttered, squeezing her lightly and nestling his nose in her hair.

Lucy giggled and said, "I was kidding, Gajeel. You don't need to smell me."

With a devious grin, Gajeel dramatically sniffed her hair, then laughed when she squeaked and tried to pull away. "You can't get away from me, little Bunny," he taunted, tightening his grip around her. He was in an oddly playful mood at the moment, and he wasn't sure if it was due to how relaxed he was, or just the fact that Lucy had gained more of his trust and made him willing to let down his guard for the time being. Regardless of the reason, Gajeel just knew he was going to enjoy himself based on her reactions alone. He rolled over onto his stomach pinning her beneath him again, and started snuffling like a dog, intentionally blowing in her ear and down her neck with each large exhale. A wide grin spread across his face when Lucy started laughing and trying to push him away, her legs flailing off to the sides instead of actually assisting in her attempt at freedom, but Gajeel just moved across her throat and repeated the same thing on the other side of her face. "I've got you right where I want you."

"I said one!" Lucy shouted, still failing miserably at dislodging the unusually playful Dragon Slayer. In the back of her mind, Lucy noticed that the way Gajeel was acting was reminiscent of the day he bit her. Since _that_ hadn't happened again, and he'd only just woken up, she honestly had no clue what had come over him. "And that tickles, you silly Dragon!"

Gajeel kissed Lucy's temple and said, "But, you said a _good_ one. I haven't found a good spot yet."

"This is ridiculous," Lucy shot back with a blush and a smile. "Oh for the love of—Gajeel!" Lucy stared down at him in disbelief when he started moving down her body, smelling every inch of her robe-clad chest.

Gajeel frowned and looked up at Lucy, then said, "There's something in the way, Bunny. Maybe that's why I can't find a good spot." He winked at her, causing her blush to deepen while he pushed her robe to the side with his nose and started on his little journey again. Needless to say, Gajeel was pleasantly surprised to find nothing under her robe. Lucy had apparently taken her tank top off when she woke up, and that was something he was perfectly fine with since he wasn't sure how he was going to convince her to do it. "What time is it, Bunny?" he asked while he circled one nipple with his nose, feeling it pucker under his attention and the breath that danced over it.

"Seven," Lucy answered breathlessly.

"You wake up too damn early, you know that?" he said while he moved to her other breast, pushing the robe away from her with his nose.

"You're enjoying this too much," Lucy giggled, propping herself up on her elbows. "Seriously, what's up with you and always smelling me?"

"You smell good. That's really all there is to it," Gajeel said, pausing at her belly button to look up at her with mischievous eyes. He saw her watching him with rapt attention when he lowered his mouth to the small bow on her robe that tied it closed. Carefully, so he didn't accidentally bite through it, Gajeel closed his teeth around the ends of the bow and pulled them to untie it while he kept his eyes locked on hers. Once the robe was loose, he grinned at the newly bared tan skin and started moving across her stomach, smelling every inch of her that he could.

"There's more to it and you know it," Lucy said. "You don't go around smelling everyone like this. Otherwise you'd probably have been arrested for assault by now."

"Okay, there's more to it," Gajeel said with a shrug, his nose circling one hip and slowly moving down her thigh.

"So, tell me."

"I already have. You smell like icing, and it's relaxing." Up the other thigh to circle her hip.

"Nothing more?"

Gajeel grinned deviously while he hovered over her lace-covered center and looked into her eyes. "Ask me the next time I bite you, Bunny. I'm sure you'll be able to get it out of me then."

"So you're willing to do that again?" Lucy asked, tilting her head to the side and letting him see how surprised she was.

"Definitely," Gajeel said. "Still have to wait a couple weeks. Your marks have to heal first." He paused and waited for her to say something, and when he decided she had taken too long, Gajeel lowered his head and pressed his nose to her sex. "Found it," he chuckled.

"Of course you did," Lucy whispered with a smirk. "I should have known."

"Can I have a taste?" he asked while he looked up at her, his lips and nose lightly brushing over her core while he teased her. He smirked when he saw her visibly shudder, heard the increased pounding of her heart, and the scent of her arousal hit him full force.

"No. You can have the breakfast on the table first before it gets any colder," Lucy said firmly, forcing her brain to function and words to come out of her mouth instead of tearing off her panties right then. When Gajeel sighed and started to move, she clamped her thighs around his head and giggled when he glared at her. "I'm your dessert, Gajeel. You said I taste sweet, so don't spoil your appetite."

"True, but I've got a _huge_ appetite. I'll be fine with just a little taste," Gajeel countered hopefully.

Lucy giggled again and let his head go, then slowly sat up and got off of the bed. "No sweets before breakfast," she sang while she made her way to the table, fixing her robe in the process so he wouldn't be too tempted again.

"You're a tease, you know that?" Gajeel asked, his eyes instantly drawn to her swaying hips. Every movement had that black silk robe of hers sliding higher for the briefest of moments to tease him with a glimpse of her rear.

"Am I?" Lucy asked innocently. "I seem to recall waking up early so you'd have enough time with me before I have to leave for my mission. You're welcome, by the way."

Gajeel smirked as he sat down, not even bothering to put his pants back on since he was going to have her on her back in no time. "You win this round, Bunny. But, you might not be able to walk to the train station after I'm done with you."

"Challenge accepted," Lucy said with a grin.

* * *

><p><strong>That's it, folks! One fluffy little filler chapter! I can tell you now that things will not be easy for these two, and there's going to be some serious shit that goes down. Like I said, next chapter will focus on Lucy's mission, so we'll see what happens when she has to get information on Fairy Tail!<strong>

**I'd like to send a **_**ginormous**_** shout-out to **_**LittlePrincessNana**_**, **_**Chrys Stone**_**, and **_**Leoslady4ever**_** for being some of the most wonderful women in the world. I love bouncing ideas off of you, and when you bounce ideas off of me! It's so amazing to have you three to chat with!**

**So, Review, Follow, Favorite! I love you guys!**

**~~GemNika, (Citric Chancellor of The Crack Fiction Liberation Army)**


	7. Her Mission

**A/N: Thanks for all the lovely reviews for last chapter! I know it was shorter than normal, and full of the fluff, but I didn't want to cut Lucy's mission down at all because I was putting that stuff in there too. I can tell you that this chapter has some interesting introductions. That is all.**

_I'm posting this as is. School starts back up for me tomorrow, so be prepared for longer waits on my chapters. I may end up cutting down the length of them just so something can get published as my workload increases, but we'll see when the time comes. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it. Honestly, I can't bring myself to proofread this again- I've done it like 30 times already. So, hopefully it's not a huge pile of garbage! ENJOY!_

**(I don't know why I bother with this disclaimer… I don't own Fairy Tail.)**

* * *

><p><em>Gajeel smirked as he sat down, not even bothering to put his pants back on since he was going to have her on her back in no time. "You win this round, Bunny. But, you might not be able to walk to the train station after I'm done with you."<em>

_ "Challenge accepted," Lucy said with a grin._

~.~

The train ride to Magnolia really couldn't be over soon enough. When Lucy had boarded the train, she had been completely alone in her compartment with only a dozen or so people boarding the southbound train along with her. At the second to last stop before they reached Magnolia, people had started filing onto the train in droves, causing her compartment to become filled with loud and obnoxious drunks that kept staring at her like she was a piece of meat. She had to keep a low profile, so unless one of them actually tried to attack her or touch her, there wasn't anything that she could do aside from ignore them and keep her eyes trained on the passing scenery.

The man next to Lucy shifted in his seat, the scent of bourbon and sweat wafting over and making her stomach churn. His arm brushed against her, and Lucy grimaced at the thought of him even touching her. Instead of moving away like she had anticipated, his arm stayed against hers, so Lucy moved just a little closer to the window and away from him. A minute later, he moved again and Lucy sighed in defeat. "Excuse me," she said as politely as possible, "Could you please move over a little bit?"

"Aw come on, don't be like that," the man slurred.

"I'd really appreciate it if you wouldn't touch me," Lucy ground out, losing her temper by the second as he scooted just a little closer, the other men in the compartment laughing wildly at their friend's antics.

The man placed his hand on her jean-clad thigh, lower than he wanted but still high enough to get his point across. "Come on," he drawled, "I like blondes."

"Oh, fuck this!" Lucy shouted, whirling around to glare at the man. "Let. Go. Of. Me."

"Oh ho ho! Blondie's got a mouth on her!" one of the other drunks chortled.

The man's grip tightened slightly while he returned her glare, then his eyes darkened and a wicked grin spread across his face. "I don't think you understand the situation."

"No, I don't think _you_ understand," Lucy seethed. Her hand whipped out and grabbed a handful of his hair. "Touch me and you'll regret it."

"Hair pulling? Really?" the man laughed.

With a scowl, Lucy's grip on his hair tightened and she smashed his face into the window. Twice. The sickening crunch of his nose breaking on impact hit her ears, and Lucy stood to her feet once he slumped on the floor. "Tell your friend he should mind his goddamn manners," she said to the shell-shocked men that were gaping at her. With a sigh, Lucy walked out of the compartment, thankful that Virgo was holding onto her bag so she wouldn't have to try and wrestle with it during her change of seats.

Every compartment Lucy looked in was full, and she was ready to accept that she would need to just go back to her original seat and deal with the men for the next couple of hours until she reached her destination. In the very last compartment, right across from the bathrooms, Lucy peaked in the window to see two men sitting across from one another and chatting amicably. _Okay, be nice as long as they're not perverts,_ she thought to herself while she knocked on the door. When both men looked her way, she smiled sweetly and poked her head in. "Hey, I hate to be a bother, but… is there a free seat in here?" she asked hopefully.

The two men exchanged identical glances with almost unnoticeable smirks on their faces, then the one on the left turned back to Lucy and waved her inside. He moved over sit right next to the window when she came in, and Lucy happily took the seat he'd offered. "Thank you so much," she gushed. "If I have to smell any more bourbon on some handsy pervert, I'm going to be sick."

"That bad, huh?"

Lucy turned to look at the man by the window who'd spoken. Spiky black hair, midnight blue eyes, a blue button-up shirt that was opened to reveal a tight black tank top, and a pair of forest green pants. She smiled sweetly and nodded. "Yeah, but it's okay. I handled it." She paused and sighed, then mumbled, "Probably shouldn't have broken his nose, though."

The man across from her laughed good-naturedly and shook his head. "You broke a guy's nose?"

Lucy turned to frown at the man, finally taking in his appearance. He had spiky orange hair, shorter than the raven-haired man's, a pair of sunglasses, a green coat with a fur-lined hood over an orange shirt, and black pants. "He wouldn't take a hint. I tried to be nice," she said, crossing her arms under her chest. "Like I said, he was kinda grabby… So, I _may_ have smashed his face into the window… twice…"

The three in the compartment couldn't help but laugh at the circumstances. Both men laughing because she seemed so sweet and incapable of hurting a fly, and Lucy because it really was just ridiculous what had happened less than a day's journey away from her own guild.

"I'm Gray, by the way," the raven-haired man by the window said with a smirk.

"Loke," said the ginger-haired man across from her.

Lucy smiled at the two and said, "Lucy."

Gray glanced at Lucy after a few silent minutes and asked, "So, where are you headed?"

"Magnolia," Lucy answered automatically. She flinched internally when she realized that she would have to be extremely careful about any answers that she gave these two guys, but something as simple as her destination shouldn't be too revealing.

"What a coincidence," Gray said, "That's where we're headed. We just finished a mission, so we're heading back to the guild."

"Mission?" Lucy asked, tilting her head to the side, "So, you two are mages?" She looked from Gray to Loke and back, a small smile on her face. _I know I'm not supposed to have direct contact with Fairy Tail mages, but if I leave now it'll look suspicious._

"Fairy Tail's finest," Gray announced, pulling his blue button-up shirt to the side and showing off his dark blue Fairy Tail guild mark.

"Um, where did your other shirt go?" Lucy asked.

"Huh?"

"Gray, your clothes," Loke chuckled, picking up the black tank top that the Ice Make mage had miraculously discarded.

"Damn," Gray muttered, leaning forward and grabbing the tank top from Loke and setting it in his lap. There really wasn't any point in trying to put it back on yet, and maybe the busty blonde would enjoy checking him out if she could see his abs. "So, Lucy. Where are you coming from?"

"Well," Lucy sighed, "I got on the train in Oak Town, but I've just kind of been bouncing around lately." She had to maintain a believable story, something as close to the truth as possible that couldn't lead back to Phantom Lord in the slightest. The closer she kept to the truth, the easier it would be to remember in the event she had to repeat her story later on. "I've been checking out different magic shops to see if I can find more Celestial Spirit Keys."

Loke stiffened and glanced down when he heard the faint jingling of keys in the compartment. Sure enough, on Lucy's belt was a large key ring with ten keys, five gold and five silver. Each moment that passed had him becoming more and more uncomfortable when he was able to see some of the signs on the Zodiac keys she held. _Virgo. Taurus. Aquarius._ This girl had some very powerful keys in her possession, and she was still looking for more. "That's a lot of keys," Loke said absently, still staring at them and not noticing that Lucy had been watching him.

Lucy was broken from her stare when she heard Loke's voice. Something inside of her had been pulling her to him, saying he was familiar, but she couldn't understand why. Deciding to brush it off, Lucy placed her hand gently on her keys and removed the ring from her belt, then smiled down at them. "It's more than my mom had, but… Honestly, I'd love to have the whole Zodiac."

Loke furrowed his brow and looked up at her face. Lucy's voice had softened considerably and when he saw the small smile while she looked at her keys, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of Master his old friends had. "You'd be pretty powerful if you had them, right?" he asked cautiously.

Lucy looked up from her keys to the ginger-haired mage and nodded. "Sure, but that's not why I want them."

"Seriously?" Gray asked with a chuckle. "What reason could you have then?"

"Then they'd all be together again," Lucy said with a wide grin.

_Together,_ Loke thought sadly.

"So, which one would you want more than anything?" Gray asked, turning slightly to lean his back against the window so he could see Lucy more easily.

"You mean _who_?" Lucy asked pointedly. At Gray's confusion, Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes. "They're people, just like you and me. The key is a means to summon the spirit, but the spirits themselves are living beings. They're not things, Gray. They have feelings just like us."

_Not things… She thinks they're people._ Loke stayed utterly quiet, his eyes trained on the keys once more.

"Sorry," Gray mumbled, scratching the back of his head. "So, _whose_ key would you want more than anything?"

Lucy hummed in thought, never having considered which of the Zodiacs she would really want the most. She wanted all of them just so they could be together again, and she would have more friends. She finally grinned and said, "Leo the Lion!"

"Huh?" Loke asked absently, his eyes shooting back to her chocolate brown eyes.

Lucy nodded fervently and said, "Definitely. He's the leader of the Zodiacs, so of course I'd want them to have their older brother with them. Not to mention lions are loyal, and that's probably one of the best qualities to have in a friend." She sighed wistfully and shook her head. "Man, I hope I find his key one day. Maybe I'd even get Virgo to smile!"

"Virgo?" Loke asked.

Lucy turned to Loke and nodded. "Yeah, she's the Maiden. She talks about him sometimes," she said sadly, "She said she misses him so much. It must be really hard to be separated from your friends because of who holds your contract. That's why I want to have all twelve keys, then they can all be together again. Virgo won't miss Leo anymore, Aquarius will have more time with her boyfriend. It'll be wonderful!"

_Virgo,_ Loke thought, _I miss you too. _He studied the blonde for a long while when she turned to talk with Gray again. She seemed happy and bubbly. The way she talked about her spirits was exactly how any Celestial mage _should_ talk about them. She had used words for her spirits that he hadn't heard in a long time—friends, people, not things, they have feelings. He was still wary of her, from what had happened with Karen in his own past, but Loke suddenly didn't feel as worried that his friends were in the wrong hands. _She actually talks with Virgo._ Most of Virgo's masters never spoke with the maid unless they were asking for something. Lucy, however, seemed to have had full conversations with the pink-haired maid; enough to know that she missed Leo.

"So, are you in a guild?" Loke asked. "You're obviously a mage. Let me guess… Mermaid Heel, right?"

"Has to be," Gray said while he looked at Lucy, taking in her mouthwatering form in his peripherals, "Mermaid Heel has some of the most beautiful women I've ever seen."

Lucy giggled and shook her head. "No," she said with a light blush. "I've been considering joining a guild though. So far I've got a couple of options, but I don't think I can make up my mind just yet."

"So, come with us to Fairy Tail!" Gray cheered. "Trust me, once you get there you won't want to leave. We're like a huge family."

"It's true," Loke said with a smile. "We love bringing new mages in."

Lucy smiled and shook her head again. "Maybe some other time. Joining a guild isn't really my priority right now. I'd rather do solo work. But thanks for the offer."

"Aw, come on," Gray pleaded, giving her his best puppy-dog eyes. "What can we do to change your mind?"

Lucy's eyes widened and she said, "Gray, is there a reason your pants are gone?"

"ACK!" Gray screeched, jumping to his feet and looking frantically around the cabin until he spotted his pants on the seat next to Loke.

"Sorry about him," Loke said with a smile.

"No problem," Lucy laughed, dismissing the strangely fast stripping with a wave, "Does that happen often?"

"All the time," Loke answered with a laugh. "I can't tell you how many times we've been kicked out of bars for him walking around naked."

"It's not intentional," Gray sighed once he sat back down.

There were another few comfortable minutes of silence, then Lucy said, "Do you guys go on a lot of missions together?"

"Yeah," Loke answered. "Gray's probably the coolest partner around."

"What kind of magic do you use?" Lucy asked them both.

Gray grinned and cupped his hands together. "Put out your hands, Lucy." Once she lifted her hands, he carefully laid a small ice rose in them then said, "Ice Make magic. A beautiful flower for a beautiful woman."

Lucy looked down at the rose with a small smile. "That's very beautiful, Gray," she said, ignoring the way Gray was trying to flirt with her. "How about you, Loke?"

Loke smiled and raised his hand, then pointed to the rings on his fingers. "Ring magic."

"Well, why don't you guys tell me about your missions?" Lucy asked, brushing a hand over Horologium's key. "We still have an hour before we get to Magnolia." When the two Fairies started in on their story, Lucy kept her innocent smile in place while she thought about just how much information she might be able to get out of these two. _This job might not be too difficult for me to do after all._

* * *

><p>Lucy sighed when she left the magic shop, feeling slightly deflated that they hadn't had any keys for her to buy. With Gajeel having given her an equal cut of the pay from their mission together, Lucy had plenty of money to burn so she was even willing to pay extra for any keys she found. <em>Focus on the mission, Lucy,<em> she told herself before she could get too down. With renewed determination, Lucy started making her way towards the library. Occasionally, she would stop and chat with various people around town, asking for directions, buying a snack here or a little trinket there.

As soon as Lucy reached the library, she instantly brightened and strode inside. She made her way to the front desk, and politely said, "Excuse me, do you have back-issues of Sorcerer Weekly?"

"Yes, ma'am. Only from the past six months, though," the clerk answered with a smile, pointing towards the magazine section.

"Thank you," Lucy said, turning and striding over to find her target. She had decided to start with making a comprehensive list of Fairy Tail's members, using pictures that she found so she could match their faces with their names while she noted when and where they were at most often. She was pleasantly surprised when she found that the magazine had a habit of also noting small portions of their magic, either descriptions of it or actual pictures of the mages using it in action. She was surprised to find out that 'The Salamander' was rumored to be a part of Fairy Tail, but it made sense since he was also allegedly like a fiery cyclone that only left destruction in his wake. By the time Lucy had finished with her research, the sun was setting and the library was about to close. She gathered all of her notes and put the magazines back on the shelf, then made her way to a hotel a few blocks away from the Fairy Tail guild hall to book a room for the night. Lucy had decided that she wouldn't stay in one place for too long, and knew that she would have to spend a couple of nights outside while she kept an eye on the guild hall itself.

Once Lucy was in her room, she looked out the window to see the lights on the second floor of the guild still on, and was barely able to hear the sounds of boisterous laughter that swelled every time the doors were opened. _They seem to be having a party,_ Lucy thought while she took note of the time and what she'd observed. Lucy closed her window, then summoned Crux.

"Hello, Miss Lucy," Crux said.

"Hey Grandpa Crux," Lucy replied with a smile. "I was wondering if there was any way you could find information on Fairy Tail for me."

"Fairy Tail?" Crux asked.

"Yeah, it's a magic guild," Lucy said as she gestured towards the window. "I've been sent on a reconnaissance mission."

"What would you like me to search for, Miss Lucy?"

"Any information on the guild hall—weaknesses, hidden rooms, blueprints, things like that—a list of members and their magic if you can find it, anything really. The most important part is the building itself," Lucy said while she tapped her finger on her chin. "If you can find information on the members, maybe even a way to rate their power levels aside from just an S-Class ranking. Can you do it?"

Crux smiled and said, "I'll see what I can find, Miss Lucy."

Lucy grinned when Crux started snoring while he searched, and sat down on the bed with the pictures she'd copied from those magazines lying around her. She instantly pulled the pictures of each of the S-Class mages—Erza Scarlet, Laxus Dreyar, MiraJane Strauss, Mystogan and Gildarts Clive—and set them down while she started piecing together the small bits of information from the magazines about their magic and personalities to create a small dossier on each person, with both Mystogan and Gildarts having little to no information whatsoever. After an hour had passed, with Lucy finally finishing the S-Class mages and getting ready to start on other guild members, she stood up and walked over to the window. Fairy Tail was still loud and could even be heard through her window if she listened hard enough. A glance at the clock told her it was nearing seven, so Lucy pulled out a small snack from her bag and ate while she started working again. As Lucy worked through each of the mages she was aware of in Fairy Tail, she created piles based on teams or who they were most commonly seen with. The guild seemed to have a lot of solo mages, much like Phantom Lord, and Lucy only saw three truly defined teams. Team Shadow Gear: Levy McGarden, Jet, and Droy. Raijinshuu: Laxus Dreyar, Freed Justine, Evergreen, and Bickslow; Lucy put a small note on this team because of the S-Class status of Laxus Dreyar. Team Young Mega-Death: Mickey Chickentiger, and no other known members. Lucy also added Loke and Gray to the team section of her piles simply because she knew that they worked as partners on almost every mission they undertook.

"AHH!" Crux shouted.

Lucy turned around quickly mid-stretch to look hopefully at Crux. "What did you find?" she asked excitedly.

"I have found a series of blueprints from the original construction of the Fairy Tail guild hall," Crux said. Several rolls of large parchment appeared in the air next to Crux and dropped to the floor as he continued. "There aren't many structural weak points to the building, and based on the destructive nature that is common knowledge to this guild, it stands to reason that portions of the interior have been reinforced over time. However, there are key weaknesses in each of these pages that are unstable enough that the destruction of one would have demolished a good portion of the building on its own."

Lucy grinned and clapped her hands. "That's wonderful!" she said happily. "What about the guild members? Did you find anything on them?"

"No, Miss Lucy," Crux answered. "I did not have enough information to do a thorough search in the time that your magic will allow."

Lucy nodded and tapped her chin in thought. "If I give you a list of their magic types, would you be able to make a compilation with details for each one while you're in the Spirit World?" she asked. "Types of spells that are most common, the average strength of a user of that magic, things like that."

"What would you like me to compare their strength to?" Crux asked.

"How about me? You're aware of my magic levels, and my own progression," Lucy said happily, "So, make a scale ranging from one to twenty, and use my level as ten for a baseline. Can you do it?"

"Of course, Miss Lucy," Crux answered. He waited for Lucy to create a list of magic types for him, and once she handed him the paper, Crux disappeared.

Lucy sighed and looked at the time. It was already well after midnight. "Five hours to get through every member," Lucy grumbled. She would need to add any information she'd heard from Loke and Gray to each of the files, and then anything that Crux was able to gather when she summoned him the next day. "One day down and six to go."

Lucy turned to the window and raised an eyebrow when she saw the lights and noise from the guild still hadn't died down. Phantom Lord closed up every night at ten, and if any of the mages still wanted to drink or hang out then they would go down to one of bars in town. Apparently, the Fairies liked to party long and hard if the yelling was any indication. Lucy noted the time again in a separate notebook that was specifically for the hall and its occupants' movements, then turned around and gathered her belongings to take a nice, relaxing bath before bed.

Once the water was the right temperature, Lucy plugged the drain and let the bathtub fill while she undressed. She looked at her neck and shoulders in the mirror and smiled gently when she saw the marks from her time with Gajeel. She traced each one, wincing slightly when her fingers passed a little too quickly over one of the bite marks, and when he hand moved down her chest Lucy blushed when she noticed a few newer hickeys on the tops of her breasts from that morning.

Because she had told Gajeel that he didn't need to calm that wild side of himself down when he was with her, he'd been more than willing to please her every carnal desire in the three hours they had before she had to leave for the train station. Nearly every surface in Lucy's apartment had been used in one way or another: she was bent over the kitchen counter, laid out on her dining table, sitting on the edge of her writing desk. They finally stopped on Lucy's bed, with her laying him out on his back and watching every reaction he refused to hide from her while she rode him into the ground. By the time she and Gajeel were done, they were panting and pouring sweat, and neither were willing to move.

It took one glance at the clock for Lucy to realize that she had fifteen minutes to shower and get dressed, causing her to jump off of the exhausted Dragon Slayer with more energy than her body should have been capable of while she bounded into the bathroom. Lucy hadn't even bothered to close the door, and jumped under the spray of water as soon as it was on. The curses she had screamed at the cold water had made Gajeel burst out laughing at her expense, and if she hadn't been running behind Lucy would have opened the shower curtain to let him see the water and soap sliding down her body to get him to shut his trap. As soon as Lucy was clean, she shut off the water—which hadn't even had a chance to get much further than lukewarm—and jumped out of the shower, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around herself while she ran over to her closet. Gajeel's laughter hadn't subsided in the slightest while she roughly dried herself off and threw her towel at him before quite literally hopping into a pair of panties and putting on a bra. The skinny jeans Lucy had decided to wear didn't help dissuade him from calling her 'Bunny Girl' since she had to jump a few times to pull them up all the way; sadly, a hairbrush was thrown in Gajeel's direction when he commented on it.

Lucy giggled and rolled her eyes at the memory of her morning while she slowly lowered herself into the steaming water once the bathtub was full, but the last thing she had expected was for Gajeel to stop her just before they left her apartment—with him saying he would shower at home and drop the constellation book off before heading to the guild—and do or say what he did. His hands had cupped her cheeks, his eyes boring into hers for a long moment, then he tipped her chin up and pressed his lips to hers in a tender caress. When he pulled back, Lucy had smiled at Gajeel, but he surprised her again when he pulled her into a hug.

"_Be careful, okay?"_

"_Of course, Gajeel."_

"_I'm serious. I don't want some shitty Fairies hurting my Bunny."_

It was the first time Gajeel had called her that since he'd bitten her in the rain. _His Bunny,_ Lucy thought with a light giggle. It was silly to put any stock in that single pronoun. His. My. If Lucy was being honest with herself, she would have to say it felt nice to have Gajeel make that kind of claim. The rebellious heiress in her hated it, and said that him saying it that way made her seem like a possession just like the suitors her father had been trying to marry her off to. The only problem was that Gajeel was the exact opposite of all of those stuffy nose-in-the-air jerks that only cared about money. He was strong, powerful, occasionally endearing, and—_Damn, is he hot as hell._ Lucy pushed away the rebellious teen in her head and just let herself bask in the warmth that spread through her from such a simple statement. She couldn't bring herself to try and solve the riddle that was their unlabeled, physical-but-possibly-more relationship. She knew that she couldn't stand Gajeel when he was acting like a prick, but he'd shown her a side of himself that she was sure not many people had ever seen before. Cold and cruel one minute, and sweet and caring the next. The thought occurred to Lucy that maybe she and Gajeel weren't that different when it came to having a rough exterior. Maybe all he had ever needed was for someone to take the time to get to know who he really was, to care even just a little bit about what was inside of him. Maybe it was a matter of gaining his trust that had brought Lucy closer to the inner workings of the Dragon Slayer. In Lucy's experience with Gajeel alone, she knew that when she started trusting him she had felt more comfortable to be who she really was instead of the façade that she portrayed in public. She didn't have to be "Badass, Phantom's Resident Bitch, Take-No-Prisoners Lucy." No, Lucy only had to be who she was inside; laughing, joking around, caring, sweet, and an overall bubbly person. She hadn't been that way since her mother died, losing bits and pieces of it until Lucy thought there were only the memories of who she once was. Somehow, the meanest and probably scariest man in the guild had found a way to bring back her smile and her laughter. All because of an ordered month of training.

* * *

><p>Lucy spent her morning finishing with each of the guild members' files, adding notes from what she had learned from Gray and Loke during their stories on the train. For instance, Erza Scarlet (or 'Titania') had a weak spot for strawberry cake and a penchant for breaking up fights in the guild with a single look. One Natsu Dragneel was hopelessly destructive, and dense when it came to everything except for fighting. Apparently MiraJane Strauss—whom they had affectionately referred to as 'Mira'—doesn't use her own magic any longer and tends the bar at the guild as a result of her own sister's death. Cana Alberona is the guild's resident drunk, but still effective in combat with her Card Magic. There was so much information that Lucy was able to gather just from the small references to each of the guild members that the two mages had made during their stories, and she wondered just why it was that Master Jose had ordered her to stay away from them. Normally, a mission like this would entail going undercover and making your way into their ranks to sniff out their weaknesses; however, he did say that his largest priority was the building itself.<p>

After several hours, Lucy stretched and took a quick shower, then got dressed for the day. She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned when she realized that if she ran into Gray and Loke again they would recognize her, and she would end up wasting time while she tried to avoid them. With a sigh, Lucy summoned Cancer. "Cancer, I need you to dye my hair," Lucy said sheepishly, flinching when Cancer's jaw dropped to the floor and tears started pouring down his face.

"Why, baby? You're perfect as a blonde!" Cancer cried, finally shedding the cool demeanor he possessed in light of such devastating news.

Lucy smiled softly and said, "It's only for the next few days. I need to keep my identity a secret, and blonde hair tends to stand out."

"What about a wig then?" Cancer asked hopefully.

Lucy hummed in thought, then nodded with a grin. "That sounds ten times better!"

Cancer matched her grin and sat her down on a chair while he got to work. Only a few minutes later, Lucy looked like a completely different person with just the simple addition of a brown wig that was cut into a perfect little blowout—straightened bangs that ended at Lucy's chin and were parted down the center, and the rest of it only a couple inches long and spiked. "Perfect, baby," Cancer said when he led Lucy to the mirror in the bathroom. "You look nothing like yourself."

Lucy tilted her head to the side while she gaped at her reflection. She turned one way and then the other, just trying to figure out how Cancer was able to manage making such a short haircut look completely natural. "Wow," she mused, turning to her spirit with a huge grin. "It's perfect! You're so amazing, Cancer!"

"Any time, baby," Cancer answered, snipping his scissors in the air as he disappeared.

Lucy walked back into the room and looked at the piles of papers that were left strewn everywhere in some insane version of controlled chaos. With a sigh, she started sorting everything into one pile, clipping certain sections together so the groups she had created stayed intact, and then summoned Virgo to hold onto the papers and blueprints in the Spirit World until Lucy was ready to go through it all again. With only her keys, whip, and a notebook and pen, Lucy made her way out of the hotel room and out into the streets of Magnolia.

It was while she was sitting at a coffee shop only a block away from the building she was watching that Lucy encountered yet another member of Fairy Tail. Erza Scarlet. The red-haired mage had walked up to the store seemingly on a mission to buy several strawberry cakes, and from the bits and pieces of the conversation Lucy had heard, the woman's favorite bakery had experienced a fire in the middle of the night so they didn't have anything for sale. Lucy listened intently while she turned the page in her notebook and started making small sketches in case anyone took notice of what she was doing. The last thing Lucy needed was one of Fairy Tail's strongest mages to see her notes on all of the guild members that had walked past her in the last few hours.

There was a distinct clang and shift of metal as Erza Scarlet moved back towards where Lucy was, and her nerves started to fray while she waited to see what happened. Maybe she had still been too conspicuous, maybe Erza had noticed her interest in the guild hall. A heavily armored hand landed on Lucy's shoulder, and it took everything in her to keep herself as calm as possible on the outside while she turned around to meet the steely gaze of Titania. "Can I help you?" she asked innocently.

"I noticed you have a free seat," Erza said solemnly.

Lucy smiled softly and nodded, then motioned for the red-haired woman to sit down at the empty chair across from her. The coffee shop was, in fact, bustling with business and the only chair that wasn't occupied was the one across from Lucy. "Oh, by all means, please have a seat," she said sweetly.

Erza's face softened considerably when she saw that smile. The brunette in front of her had warm and caring eyes that reminded her of her own guildmates, and she was happy that she had made the effort to approach the woman and not scare her away like she normally would have. Erza knew that she could be harsh and domineering, but it wasn't for lack of trying on her part that she usually failed at allowing people to see the softer side of herself. She thankfully took the seat and the pair sat in silence for only a second before she heard.

"My name is Layla."

"Erza," she answered with another smile.

Lucy's eyes widened in mock shock as if she was putting the pieces together of who this woman was. "Erza?" she asked incredulously, "As in _the_ Erza?"

Erza laughed and nodded. "The one and the same, I suppose." There was still no fear in her companion's eyes while they looked at one another. Erza saw her surprise, but it was the wide grin that spread across her face that threw the Requip mage off. The brunette in front of her was excited, but not as much as a huge fan would be, and Erza wasn't used to people grinning when they saw her or found out who she was unless she had just saved their lives.

"Wow," Lucy whispered. "I-I'm sorry, I must be staring…" She quickly looked away with a light blush, hoping that she was being convincing enough for the time being. "I've just read so much about you in Sorcerer's Weekly, and to think… Here you are. It's really an honor to meet you."

Erza chuckled and shook her head, finding it easier to laugh at the situation just from her proximity to this new acquaintance. "Thank you, Layla," she said kindly.

Lucy peeked up at Erza, biting her lower lip and blushing, then asked, "Would it… be too much trouble to get your autograph?"

"Not at all," Erza answered, looking down at the girl's hands to see a notebook and a pen being held tightly between them.

Lucy grinned and turned the page to a blank sheet, then handed Erza the pen and notebook and watched as she quickly signed the page before handing it back to Lucy. "Thank you so much!" Lucy gushed. She wasn't entirely sure what could be done with someone's signature, but Lucy knew that there were plenty of ways to go about ruining someone's livelihood if one knew how to go about doing it. After a few silent minutes, Lucy said, "Did you hear about that bakery that caught on fire last night?"

Erza sighed and nodded. "They make my favorite cake there."

"Oh, well I hope they'll be back up and running soon," Lucy said thoughtfully. "I haven't had a chance to try their strawberry cake yet."

Erza's eyes widened and a small smile spread across her face. "That is actually the cake I usually buy. They have the best in town."

Lucy leaned forward slightly and whispered, "Well, I can't wait until they're open again to try it. If anyone knows about cake, it'll be the strongest woman in Fairy Tail."

Erza blushed slightly and leaned in herself, caught up in the moment and willing to act more like a girl her age. "It's actually the second best in Fiore. The best is a little bakery in Oak Town."

"Really?" Lucy asked.

Erza nodded. "I usually only get strawberry cake, but occasionally I like to try other desserts. They have an almond-buttercream icing that is absolutely decadent."

Lucy's blush deepened dramatically when she recalled Gajeel saying he thought he had smelled her in a bakery in town. _That's what he says I smell like…_ "I might have to try it out sometime," Lucy answered with a giggle. "But I think I'll stick to strawberry."

"A wise choice," Erza replied, turning towards the counter when she heard her number being called. "Ah, that will be my order." She turned back to her companion and said, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Layla."

"You too, Erza," Lucy said happily as the other woman stood up. She watched Erza walk over to the counter and pick up several cake boxes, then turn around to leave the shop.

Erza paused next to the sweet brunette she had been talking to, and leaned down to whisper, "I recommend the 'Death By Chocolate' bakery in Oak Town if you decide to visit. It's small, but they really are the best."

"Thanks," Lucy whispered back. Once Erza left the shop, Lucy sighed happily and went back to drawing in her notebook for the next half-hour while she waited for the stares of the patrons around her to die down. Apparently, holding a conversation with Titania and smiling the whole time was something that didn't happen too often.

* * *

><p>Lucy spent the next five nights watching the Fairy Tail guild hall from various rooftops, and noticed just how loud they actually were. There were near constant brawls that could be heard from the street, and even more so when the doors opened to allow entry to another guild member. She noticed Team Shadow Gear walking towards the guild from the direction of the library, with the Jet and Droy carrying armloads of heavy books while Levy McGarden carried a much smaller stack and struggling to hold it. Lucy smirked and wrote down another note on Levy. <em>Dangerously low physical strength.<em> A chill swept through the air, and Lucy huddled closer to the corner she was in, wrapping her coat more tightly around herself and pulling her black scarf up over her nose.

"Whatcha doin'?" asked a cheery and masculine voice from behind her.

Lucy's eyes widened in shock, her whole body freezing up for a moment. She quickly tucked the notebook into the inner pocket of her jacket along with her pen and slowly turned around to see a young man with pink hair crouching next to her and grinning like a little kid with a white scarf around his neck, an open gold-trimmed waistcoat that bared his chest, white pants, and black sandals. "Uh," Lucy muttered.

"Oh, are you playing ninja?" the pink-haired man asked.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him and said, "Who are you?"

He threw one hand behind his head and laughed. "I'm Natsu! What's your name, ninja?"

Lucy smiled beneath the black scarf that was still covering her nose. She lifted her hands and adjusted it so it was wrapping around her head until only her eyes were exposed, then brought a gloved finger to Natsu's mouth when he laughed again. "Shh," Lucy whispered. "Ninjas have to be quiet."

Natsu nodded and grinned deviously, wrapping his own scarf around his head while he moved closer to the figure he'd found. "So, what's your name?" he whispered conspiratorially.

Lucy smirked and glanced at him, then said, "You'll never know. Ninjas don't reveal their identities." She slowly crawled away from the edge of the building, moving back towards the shadows.

"What are you looking for then?" Natsu asked while he followed the scent of the person he' found. He knew it was a girl, and that she smelled like cake, but that was it. He couldn't tell what color her hair was, though it had looked black when he came up to the roof, and he knew her eyes were brown. Aside from that, she was a mystery.

Lucy giggled while she continued moving through the shadows. "I'm on a top secret mission," she taunted. "It's a ninja secret." She remembered what Gray had said about Natsu being dense, and she knew that this had to be the same guy for the simple fact that he fit the description she'd been given perfectly. She would play along with his little ninja game, and see what she could find before she lost him and continued watching the guild.

"Come on, I can keep a secret!" Natsu whined, grinning when the girl jumped across the gap between two buildings and started stealthily running up the slanted roof to perch at the top. He ran and jumped, landing only a few feet from her and laughed when she looked at him with wide eyes. "What's your ninja mission?"

Lucy grinned deviously beneath her scarf and silently slid down the other side of the roof to jump onto the next one, leading him further from the guild. She landed in a crouch and hid in the shadows again, then watched as Natsu slid down and jumped only to quickly crouch next to her expectantly. "You want to know my mission?" she asked, giggling when he nodded. "Are you a ninja too?"

Natsu nodded again.

Lucy crawled forward, forcing him to back up until he was pressed against a wall. She continued slinking forward, tilting her head to the side while she looked at him. Finally, she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "My mission…"

"Yeah?" Natsu asked.

"Is to tell you that Gray's looking for you." Lucy grinned while she pulled back to see confusion in his eyes. "He said, 'Tell that Flaming Idiot to meet me at the guild in an hour so I can kick his ass.'"

"That Ice Prick!" Natsu shouted.

Lucy giggled again and sat back on her heels. "You should go and get him. I bet he's already telling Elfman how you're chickening out."

Natsu grinned and shouted, "I'm all fired up!" He jumped to his feet, his fists flaming as he started to run off. Natsu stopped just as he got to the edge of the roof and turned back. "Hey, you never told me…" He frowned when he saw that the girl he'd been following had disappeared. "… Your name," he whispered.

Lucy listened to Natsu turn around and jump onto the next roof. She slowly lifted herself back up from the edge of the building once he was gone and peeked over to see that he was already running along the next rooftop back towards the guild. With a sigh, Lucy dropped down to the fire escape and slowly walked down the stairs until she reached a window that was cracked open. After looking around for a minute to make sure no one saw her, Lucy opened it the rest of the way and snuck inside, then locked it behind her and closed the drapes. She walked through the darkened room and turned on a single light, then sighed as she sat down on the edge of her hotel bed for the night. It was her last night in Magnolia, and Lucy honestly had only stayed the past few days because she was ordered to be back in a week and not a few days. Crux had done most of the work for her when it came to finding out what Master Jose had wanted to know, but Lucy took it upon herself to learn as much as she could about the weaknesses of their enemies to help her Master out. Just one more night, and she would get to be back in her own bed—or maybe a certain Iron Slayer's—and perfectly relaxed again.

* * *

><p><em>She rushed through the forest, her bare feet catching in roots and small tangles of vines along the way and slowing her down. Lucy's pursuers were gaining quickly, and she knew there was no way for her to outrun them. She never could. She was fully aware that this was a nightmare, and remembered the abuse she'd endured from each previous dream as though it had only just happened. Fear seeped into her, slowly chilling her to the core, when she saw the fork in the path. That was where it always happened. Lucy fought to slow her movements, to stop herself from being subjected to the same torture again. She couldn't go through it again. She needed that beacon that seemed to send the nightmares away, but she couldn't remember what it was.<em>

_ Lucy stumbled, catching herself on a log and crying out when a piece of wood jutting from the side ripped into her arm when she tore away from it. She was still running from them. The three men that would beat and use her until she woke up from this hell. Sometimes, she wouldn't wake up before they were finished, and had to live through each turn they took while she was pinned to the ground. Eventually, they would leave her in the forest, slowly dying from blood loss; on those nights, she would fade into blackness, and wake up only just before she lost all sight of the dream world around her._

_ "Well, well, well," the first man growled, his voice sounding just behind her and his whiskey and cigarette breath dancing over her skin._

_ Lucy shrieked and pushed herself faster to get away from him, ignoring the throbbing pain in her arm as her blood slowly flowed from it. With every ounce of energy she possessed, Lucy forced herself to veer off of the path and into the unknown forest to her right. It was the first time she had managed to change the dream, and hope bloomed in her chest that she would escape them this time. "Help!" Lucy shouted into the barely illuminated trees while the rain poured down onto her. "Please, somebody!"_

_ "Another blonde? Can't we ever find something more… exotic?"_

_ Lucy whimpered, her breathing labored and ragged when the olive-skinned man's voice sounded off to her left. A familiar path appeared in front of her, leading up the side of a mountain, and Lucy put on a burst of speed, falling only once from the steep incline. Step after step, and finally a flickering light came into view in the mouth of a cave._

_ "Can we keep her?"_

_ Lucy shrieked in terror when the three men were standing just inside of the cave, leering at her as they slowly moved forward. She didn't know what to do. Her feet were planted in place while they advanced on her. Suddenly, she was surrounded and knocked to the ground with a blow to her back. Pain shot through her whole body, and she found herself curling on her side and protecting her face as best as she could. A kick to her spine caused a sickening crack and Lucy screamed when pressure started building where the blow landed. Another kick and another. All to the same spot, and her vision started to spot with red. Lucy was rolled onto her back, her clothes torn from her body in one swift motion. Her left leg had gone completely numb, and when she tried to kick with her right she found it was like pushing through quicksand. "Please, don't do this!"_

_ "Looks like I get the first taste."_

_ "Please!" Lucy shouted when the first man knelt between her legs. "Please, go away! Leave me alone!"_

_ The man grinned and lowered his mouth to her neck, roughly sucking the skin between his lips. "Well, well, well."_

_ "Don't do this! Please, please don't—" Lucy's words were cut short by a boot to the side of her head, and she felt a trickle of blood sliding slowly down her forehead. The man's legs brushed against her inner thighs as he lined himself up at her entrance, and bile started to rise in her throat._

~.~

"NO!" Lucy screeched as she sat up in bed, tears streaming down her cheeks and causing her loose hair to stick to her face. She quickly swiped her hands over her body, kicking the blanket off of herself and falling onto the floor from the bed. She looked around the dark, unfamiliar room and started panicking, her chest tightening painfully while she struggled to find her breath.

A brilliant flash of golden light filled the small hotel room, and Virgo quickly knelt down and pulled the sobbing girl into her arms. "Hush, Princess," she said softly, gently stroking Lucy's hair. "I'm here. You're safe."

"V-Virgo!" Lucy cried, wrapping her arms tightly around the Maid Spirit's waist and openly sobbing into her clothes. "I w-was… I…"

"I know, Princess," Virgo whispered. "Everything will be fine." She, along with Lucy's nine other spirits, had felt her distress before waking and they all knew that it was from the night she was attacked. Every time Lucy had woken up from a nightmare, Virgo had been prepared to open her gate and assist her; however, the presence of the Iron Dragon Slayer had seemed to calm Lucy down immensely, and eventually she had resorted to sleeping next to him every night to keep them away. The nightmares didn't normally happen while she was in a building, only when there were noises from the woods around her, and Virgo was curious why she had one the night before she returned from her mission.

"I'm so scared, V-Virgo," Lucy whimpered, wishing she could force the fear from her body.

"I may know of something that will help," Virgo offered, "Would you like my assistance, Princess?" When Lucy nodded, but squeezed Virgo when she tried to pull away, Virgo squeezed right back and stood up with Lucy. "Sit down on the bed, and I will fetch it."

Lucy took a deep breath and nodded, then pried her arms away from the comfort of Virgo's embrace and curled her knees to her chest while she sat down. She watched Virgo walk out of the room into the adjoining bathroom and turn on the lights. Lucy squinted and blinked repeatedly, hoping her vision would return to normal from the blinding light of the room.

Virgo pulled the small lacrima from the bottom of Lucy's bag. The young blonde had bought it just before this mission so that she could call her guild master in the event of an emergency. While this wasn't necessarily an emergency that the sadistic guild master would care about, Virgo still made a call. It didn't take long for the familiar face to appear on the screen, scowling and sleepy at first until recognition hit. "She needs to see you," Virgo said gently. After a swift nod, Virgo carried the tiny orb back into the room to see Lucy rubbing her eyes and curled up under the covers. "Here, Princess. Please call for me if you need anything else."

Lucy felt something placed in her hands and registered the faint tinge of magic in the air as Virgo disappeared.

"What happened, Bunny?"

Lucy's eyes shot open to look at the small lacrima. There on the screen was the one face she didn't think she would see. "G-Gajeel?" Lucy whispered, sniffling and trying to wipe away her tears. "Why—"

"Virgo said you needed to see me," Gajeel said, raising an eyebrow at her. "Talk to me."

"N-Nothing. It's nothing," Lucy sighed. "She shouldn't have called. G-Go back to bed…"

"Bunny, if you don't start talking you're gonna see my ass beating the door down in the morning," Gajeel warned with a growl. "What. Happened."

Lucy tried to scowl at him, but she couldn't hold onto her anger. She felt the small tremble in her lip carry through to the rest of her body, and a single whimper crept up her throat when she recalled her nightmare. "I…" She stopped and took a shaky breath, trying to will the thickness in her throat to disappear so she could speak.

"Was it a nightmare?" Gajeel asked gently, watching her practically falling apart at the seams.

Lucy nodded. "I-I thought I got away… And, I found the c-cave. But, you weren't th-there. And then… Then they…" She broke down again, burying her face in the pillow and sobbing until she was hoarse.

"Look at me," Gajeel said after several long minutes of being forced to watch Lucy cry. "Come on, Bunny."

Lucy sniffled again and again, roughly wiping her tears away before she could even bring herself to glance at the lacrima. "I'm s-sor—"

"Shh. Nothing to be sorry for," Gajeel said. "Go turn off the lights and lay back down."

"What?"

Gajeel smirked and nodded. "Go on, I'm not going anywhere."

Lucy frowned and sat up in the bed. She carefully got up, carrying the lacrima with her, and shut off all of the lights in the room before returning to the bed and crawling back under the covers. "Now what?" Lucy asked weakly.

"Now, get your ass comfy so we can go back to sleep," Gajeel answered with a yawn.

"Huh? Gajeel, there's no way—"

"What made your nightmares stop in the woods?" Gajeel asked.

"Sleeping next to you…"

"There's your answer. Leave the lacrima on. Hold it, put it on a nightstand, whatever. I'll be right here the whole time," Gajeel said with another smirk.

Lucy frowned and shook her head. "This seems silly, Gajeel…"

Gajeel shrugged and said, "See if it works. Go on, close your eyes." He rolled over on his side in bed and held the lacrima on his pillow. "I'll keep an eye on you until you're asleep."

"What about after?" Lucy whispered, mimicking what he'd done by rolling onto her side.

"I'll put the lacrima on the nightstand. If you wake up, you'll see me right there. And you can wake me up if you need to."

"But—"

"Bunny," Gajeel said firmly. "What did I tell you about me being a selfish bastard when it comes to my sleep? Close your goddamn eyes. I'm not going anywhere."

Lucy glared at him for a moment, then sighed. "Prick," she grumbled while her eyes slid closed.

"Fucking right I am," Gajeel said proudly, watching a small smirk curl up one corner of Lucy's mouth. "If you need me to help you sleep, I will… okay? Besides, you'll be back tomorrow."

Lucy nodded and sighed. Her eyes slid open to look into the deep crimson gaze that was watching over her. "Goodnight, Gajeel," she whispered gratefully.

"Night, Bunny."

* * *

><p>Lucy's eyes cracked open to glare venomously at the small sliver of light that was peeking through the drapes in the early hours of the morning. She stretched, felt all of her vertebrae realign with the most glorious series of small pops, and sighed contentedly before she noticed a small weight on her hand. After rubbing her eyes, Lucy looked over to see that her lacrima was still connected to Gajeel's, and she smiled at the image of him completely passed out on his bed. She'd come to realize that when she wasn't there for him to cuddle with, he slept on his stomach with his face buried in the pillows, and that morning was no different. Gajeel's hair was as wild as always, and there were a few strands lying over his shoulders. "Gajeel," Lucy said softly, unsure if she should even wake him up to let him know she'd slept through the night with his help.<p>

"What is it, Bunny?" Gajeel grumbled, turning onto his side and keeping his eyes closed.

"Thank you for last night." Lucy smiled at the tired eyes that slowly opened to peer back at her.

"Sure, Bunny," Gajeel yawned, rubbing his eyes so he could get a better look at the blonde on the lacrima that he'd set on his nightstand. "You sleep okay?"

Lucy nodded happily. "I guess it wasn't so silly after all."

"Nah," Gajeel smirked, "More like your nightmares are too afraid of a big bad Dragon Slayer."

"Oh, who might that be?" Lucy teased, giggling when Gajeel glared at her. "Okay, Gajeel. You're _very_ scary," she teased, pouting slightly and pushing her eyebrows together.

"I'm gonna whip your ass in the middle of the guild if you keep this shit up."

"Oh, who's the pervy bitch now?" Lucy laughed. "Weren't you making fun of me for spanking you? And now you want to add whips to the mix."

"Goddamnit, woman," Gajeel grumbled, picking up the small alarm clock on his nightstand and sighing when he saw the time. "Do you have any clue what time it is?"

"Nope," Lucy said softly, smiling when he glared at her again.

"It's not even seven. How the fuck do you wake up this early all the damn time?"

Lucy shrugged. "I've always been an early riser, Gajeel. I get more done that way." She paused for a moment and watched Gajeel rub his eyes again while he tried to stay awake, and shook her head. "Go back to sleep, Gajeel. I'll see you at the guild later on today, okay?"

"Alright, Bunny. What time?"

"I'm not sure. I'll have to find out what time the train leaves."

"Mmkay," Gajeel mumbled. "See you then."

Lucy giggled and shook her head while she watched him almost instantly fall asleep again. "See you, silly Dragon," she whispered just before cutting off the lacrima. Lucy sighed and got out of the bed, deciding to take a shower and just start her day right then.

Once she was finished in the shower, Lucy figured she would play it safe and have Cancer give her one more new look that she could get rid of once she was safely back at the guild.

"What color today, baby?" Cancer asked once he appeared.

Lucy grinned and said, "How about red?"

Cancer's smile widened and he nodded. After only a few short minutes, he'd secured Lucy's red wig in place and applied a little bit of makeup to round out her look. The wig itself was a deep wine-colored red with several black streaks all throughout it to give it a slightly darker quality, and fell in soft curls down to Lucy's mid-back.

Once Lucy's hair was done, she turned around and told Cancer that she was heading back to the guild today, so she wouldn't need the makeup to cover her guild mark. Luckily, the only marks that were left from Gajeel were the two bite marks—though the scabs had finally fallen off during the week, so she was left with bite-shaped scars on her neck and shoulder for the time being. She put on a black long-sleeve off the shoulder crop top that showed off her guild mark, and paired it with a pair of dark red short-shorts and her knee-high combat boots. Once Lucy was ready, she made her way through Magnolia towards the train station after giving Virgo her bag.

Because she was now officially representing Phantom Lord, and showing her guild mark with pride, Lucy's face was held in an indifferent mask while she walked through town, and she only let it fall once when she thanked the man at the small kiosk just before she reached the station when she bought a bagel for breakfast. After buying her ticket, Lucy sat down at a bench and waited for the train to arrive, simply eating her bagel and watching the people walk by.

Oddly enough, Lucy was able to get on the train and find a compartment all to herself. She sighed as it pulled away from the station and watched the scenery go by in a blur while she thought about what she'd been able to accomplish that week. She couldn't understand why she had been worried in the first place about the mission, since she _had_ been training with Gajeel for a little over a month before Master Jose had sent her out. She was stronger, smarter, more adaptable to situations, and definitely lighter on her feet. Gajeel had done an amazing job of teaching her everything she needed to learn in such a short amount of time, and she couldn't help but wonder why Master Jose had wanted to test her in the first place. While she didn't want to believe that he had some ulterior motive, that he just wanted to make sure she was able to handle herself properly now that she'd gone through intensive training with the ornery Dragon Slayer and survived, the pieces just didn't add up. It wasn't her job to try and figure out why he wanted information on Fairy Tail's guild hall and wasn't too worried about the members themselves, and Lucy finally told herself that if he wanted her to know, then he would tell her. Otherwise, she needed to trust her guild master's decisions and follow orders.

* * *

><p>Lucy stepped off of the train in Oak Town and breathed a sigh of relief. She was home, and damn did it feel good to have finished her first direct mission from Master Jose. She walked through town, suppressing the sweet smile that wanted to spread across her face, and made her way to the guild hall. A frown found its way onto her face when she heard jeers and yelling much louder than normal at this time of day from the closed doors of the hall, and a sour feeling settled itself in her stomach just before she pushed the doors open.<p>

The sight that greeted her had Lucy's blood boiling. The body of a twelve-year-old boy was lying in the middle of the guild hall, his black hair covering his face and a small pool of blood pooling just under his head. The other members of the guild were cheering his abuser on from their tables, the uproar they caused almost drowning out each of the garbled cries he let out. Finally, the boy's attacker came into view, and Lucy snapped once she saw the studded eyebrows, malevolent grin, and ruby eyes. She stormed inside just as Gajeel lifted the boy up by his throat, much the same way he had done with Lucy upon their meeting. When Gajeel's arm pulled back to punch the boy, Lucy sent her whip flying and wrapping around his wrist. She pulled back with everything she had while he tried to continue sending his fist forward, and Lucy found that she was barely able to restrain him. "What the fuck?!" she shouted.

Gajeel growled and looked down at the whip that was wrapped around his wrist. Only one woman he knew would be so loud, stop him from beating up a kid, and smelled so damn delicious. "Stay out of it," he ground out, shaking her whip off of his wrist before pulling his hand back again.

"Leave him alone, Gajeel," Lucy warned, snapping her whip to the side. When she saw Gajeel snarl, still ignoring her, Lucy lashed out at him and caught the side of his face with her whip. A sadistic giggle crept out of her when she saw the angry split in his skin, and when he turned to look at her Lucy used his momentary distraction while he took in her appearance to rush at him. "Lucy kick!" she shouted, sending her foot straight up into the bottom of his chin.

Gajeel dropped the little shit he'd been beating once her iron-toed boot hit his chin, then took a step back. He heard the small whimper of the boy, and growled when a red-headed Lucy stood between him and the little fucker. "Move," he growled.

Lucy sneered at Gajeel and said, "No. You're not beating up a little kid while I'm here, and if you try it again I'll make sure you regret it."

"Really?" Gajeel snarled. "And what are you gonna do, you stupid bitch?"

"Rip out your teeth and force you to eat a bag of bloody pus-filled dicks," Lucy seethed while she pulled her wig off and fixed her blonde hair so it fell over her shoulders. "Leave. Him. Alone. If you want someone to hit, then hit me."

Gajeel grinned maliciously and said, "More than happy to oblige, Bunny Girl." He lifted his fist and watched Lucy for a reaction of any kind. All she did was stand there and glare at him. She didn't even look like she was going to fight back. He sent his fist flying, and just before he connected with her face he heard Master Jose call him off.

Gajeel's fist stopped barely a hairsbreadth from hitting the cheek he'd already broken, but Lucy didn't move. She was more than willing to take a beating from Gajeel to stop him from hitting the boy that was still whimpering in pain behind her. When Gajeel snarled again and glanced up at the balcony, Lucy didn't avert her gaze from him. She waited until he bristled with agitation before taking a step back and sitting down at his metal-covered table. Lucy rolled her eyes and turned around to see the boy still curled up on the ground. She slowly knelt down next to him, placing her hand gently on his shoulder and watching him flinch. "It's okay," she whispered while she pushed his hair out of his face, "Come with me, and we'll get you bandaged up."

Jose watched from the balcony as Lucy helped the young member of the guild up to his feet, glaring at Gajeel once more before she took him back towards the barely used infirmary in the guild. It had been interesting to see her with red hair instead of blonde, but the view of her guild mark along with how she acted towards Gajeel let him know just who Lucy was. While Jose would have loved nothing more than to drag her away from the young boy and get details on her mission, he was willing to wait. He could be very patient when he wanted to be. Luckily, Gajeel still listened and backed down as soon as Jose had given him the word, which showed him that the pair hadn't been lying before when they told him that they hated one another. He could see it in every pore of the both of them, heard it in the sadistic threat Lucy had issued, the way Gajeel had snarled. What caught Jose by surprise was that Lucy would stand up for the boy in the first place. While it was unexpected, any trust built between the two could come in handy in the future because it would tie her loyalties to the guild even more.

"Alright, come sit down right here," Lucy said gently as she helped the boy limp into the infirmary. They slowly made their way to a bed and Lucy practically lifted him onto it. "Can you tell me your name?" she asked while she tilted the boy's head up to look into his eyes. Her eyes widened in shock when she finally saw his face. He had definitely been beaten by Gajeel—she knew firsthand what his fists could do—and there was proof in how swollen his cheek was, the set of his nose, the split in his lip, and the blood that dripped down from his forehead. The condition he was in was no surprise. No, what was surprising to Lucy was that his eyes were identical to Gajeel's: ruby red with slitted pupils.

The boy stayed silent and looked at the blonde woman. She was really pretty, and her eyes told him a lot about the kind of person she was inside. He'd never known anyone to stand up to his idol the way she had, and she hadn't even been hit for doing something so brash in front of their guild mates. She had stopped Gajeel from hurting him any more than he already had. How had she managed to come away from it unscathed? Why did Gajeel choose to speak with her instead of hitting her, even after her whip hit his face? He couldn't understand how this woman was able to go from threatening his idol to smiling while she took care of the injuries on his face.

"It's okay," Lucy whispered, "You don't have to tell me right now. But, my name is Lucy." She slowly pushed his hair away from his eyes and said, "Okay, this is probably going to be painful, but I have to check for broken bones, alright?"

The boy nodded.

Lucy sighed when she saw that his nose was starting to swell up. "Your nose is broken. We need to set it first before it swells up too much."

The boy pushed his eyebrows together slightly. He didn't know how to go about doing something like that, but Lucy had said 'we' as if he was going to help.

Lucy giggled and said, "Don't worry, I'll teach you." She turned to the side and singled out Virgo's key, then quickly summoned her.

Virgo appeared in a low bow and said, "Punishment, Princess?"

The boy's eyes widened when he saw Lucy's magic. It was strange to see something like a key that was used for magic, and stranger still when a pink-haired maid appeared in a flash of golden light that hurt his eyes. He watched Lucy interact with the woman named Virgo, how she dismissed the question of giving punishment, asked for medical supplies for his wounds, and then how Virgo disappeared in a faint puff of glittering sparkles only to reappear less than a minute later with her arms laden with supplies.

"Thank you, Virgo," Lucy said sweetly. "Please stand guard outside of the door. I don't want anyone in here, except for Master Jose."

"Of course, Princess," Virgo said with another bow before walking out of the infirmary.

Lucy grabbed a rag and placed it in the boy's hands while he looked up at her. "Don't worry," she said as she put a hand on the back of his head and leaned him forward slightly. "Blow your nose in the rag to get rid of the excess blood."

He brought the rag to his nose and blew it lightly.

Lucy smiled encouragingly and said, "A little harder." When he blew his nose more forcefully, she pulled the rag away and wiped any extra blood from his mouth, then showed him how to position his hands to set his nose on his own. He looked worriedly at her, and Lucy ran her fingers through his hair while she asked, "Would you like me to help you with it?"

The boy nodded timidly while he looked up at Lucy. He felt her warm and dainty hands placed over his on his nose, and took a deep breath in through his mouth and closed his eyes just as she instructed. The pressure was almost unbearable, the pain spearing through him and causing him to feel nauseous in an instant. There was a small pop as she pulled his hands down, and when she pulled away the boy felt a wave of dizziness crash through him.

"Whoa," Lucy said while she caught the wobbling boy. She cradled him in one arm and pulled him to her chest while she sat down on the bed. Once she was settled, Lucy wiped away the blood on his face with a moistened rag.

"You smell nice," he whispered, his eyes closing while she cleaned him up.

Lucy giggled and said, "So I've been told. Tell me, what do I smell like to you?"

"Like cake," the boy answered with a small pained smile. "I've never smelled someone as sweet as you before. It's nice." He winced when she started prodding at his cheeks and jaw, feeling the bruises already starting to form.

"He only broke your nose," Lucy said softly while she smoothed the boy's hair away from his face again. "You're lucky. He broke my nose and cheek that first time he kicked my ass."

"He did?" the boy asked incredulously, pulling away just enough to look up into the warm chocolate eyes that were looking back at him. He didn't want to move too far away from the hand that was rubbing light soothing circles on his back and shoulders, even if it was slightly painful from the bruises that Gajeel had left there as well.

Lucy smiled and nodded, then lifted her hand to point to the small scars on her cheek and nose. "I tried to stop him from pummeling a mountain, and we got into a fight. Eventually, he pinned me and started choking me, then punched me with the other hand."

"How did you stop him?" the boy asked incredulously.

Lucy giggled and whispered, "I pulled his hair and kicked him in the nuts." She giggled again when the boy winced, then added, "I caught my breath first, so I pinned him to the ground."

"Did you kick his ass afterwards?"

Lucy shook her head and said, "No, I bandaged up his hands and then fixed my nose after I found out why he was angry. Turns out I'd pissed him off."

"You must be a really nice person," the boy mumbled sheepishly. He looked back up at Lucy when she laughed lightly and wondered why she was laughing.

"I can be nice when I want to be," she said softly. "But, around here I'm the biggest bitch of them all."

"Is that why they told me not to sit in that stool at the bar?" he asked with wide eyes.

Lucy nodded. "I always sit in the same spot, but you're welcome to sit next to me sometime. No one ever does." When a small smile turned up the corners of his mouth, Lucy said, "Are you feeling less dizzy now? I still need to bandage you up."

The boy nodded and hid his disappointment when she pulled away and stood back up. He'd enjoyed feeling an arm wrapped around him so comfortingly, how comfortable he had been while she let him rest his head against her chest, and she really did smell nice. "Is it perfume?" he asked softly when she started cleaning his wounds with alcohol.

"I don't wear perfume," Lucy answered. "That's just how I smell."

"Oh."

"Do you want to tell me why he was beating you up?" Lucy asked as she put the antiseptic ointment on his cuts.

The boy winced and shook his head.

"Did you talk to him while he was eating?" When the boy looked away guiltily, Lucy smiled and said, "It's okay, everyone makes that mistake at some point. No one ever warns them not to do it."

"Why?" he asked sadly.

"Because this guild doesn't look out for one another," Lucy answered. "Everyone for themselves. The top priority is to get the job done."

He nodded and sighed. "That's what Master told me, too." He looked up at the blonde woman and asked, "Why are you helping me then?"

Lucy smiled down at him, cupping his cheeks in her hands and said, "Because sometimes all you need is just one person to help you when you need it the most. You're still young, and it's a hard world that we live in. The guild might not believe in helping each other out, but I can't stand seeing people suffer when there's something I can do to help."

The boy looked at her for a long moment, absorbing the warmth that her hands provided on his sore face. She was so sweet to him, gentle and caring in a way he could hardly remember having known before. He knew it was there, somewhere in his past he'd had a parent that cared for him, but that seemed like so long ago that it was just a distant memory. "Ryos," he whispered.

"Hm?" Lucy asked, tilting her head to the side.

"My name," he said. "It's Ryos."

Lucy beamed at him, and saw his small answering smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ryos," she said. After a moment, Lucy frowned and asked, "Did he hit you anywhere else? Aside from your face?"

Ryos grimaced and looked down at the floor, then slowly nodded while his hair shadowed his face.

"Hey," Lucy said softly, carefully lifting his chin so he would meet her gaze. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, alright?"

Ryos nodded again.

"Where else did he hit you?" Lucy asked. She watched as Ryos lifted his grey shirt over his head, and Lucy gasped when she saw what was left in Gajeel's wake on the boy's torso. Ryos was a little thinner than he really should be, but Lucy was able to actually _see_ where several of his ribs were broken and pushing against his skin at an odd angle. The skin all along his sides was already badly bruised, turning darker by the minute. Lucy slowly walked around to the other side of the bed to look at his back and felt her anger boiling inside of her again. Several large bruises were on his back, though none were too close to his spine. She reached a hand out and sighed when he flinched as soon as she touched him. "It's okay," she said, "I'm checking your spine."

Ryos nodded and forced himself to relax. He could smell her anger rising while she took in each of the marks Gajeel had left on him, and it was endearing that she would actually get upset over his attack. Ryos had always thought that Gajeel was an amazing mage, and he knew that he always wanted to join Phantom Lord in the hopes that Gajeel would teach him how to be stronger. He never thought that his first time—or any of the other hundred times—getting up the courage to talk with Gajeel would end up this way, but Ryos knew that the man was anti-social and prone to violence. He would just have to be stronger for the next time he spoke with Gajeel. Just like every other time.

"Ryos?" Lucy asked gently, "How long have you been in the guild?"

Ryos sighed and said, "Almost a year now."

"Why have I never seen you before?"

"Because I hide most of the time," he answered while she walked back around the bed to stand in front of him. "No one notices me, and I try to keep it that way."

Lucy frowned and tilted her head to the side. "If you've been in the guild longer than I have, then why did you not know who I was? Or not to talk to Gajeel while he's eating?"

Ryos flinched and looked down at the floor again. "Well…" he mumbled.

Lucy crossed her arms under her chest and said, "You lied to me." She saw him flinch again, curling in on himself slightly in his embarrassment. "I don't like when people lie to me, Ryos. I want to be able to trust you, but that can't happen if you don't tell me the truth."

"I'm… I'm sorry," he said while he forced himself to meet her hardened gaze. "Please don't be mad at me…"

Lucy sighed and sat down on the bed next to the boy after she walked to the door and called Virgo inside the room. She needed her spirit to check Ryos' ribs and make sure a simple wrapping job would suffice. "Why did you lie?" she asked gently.

"Because, I thought you wouldn't be nice if you knew I've been here long enough to know the rules," he answered timidly. He wanted to curl up into a little ball and ignore the pain from his ribs and the pang of guilt he felt when he saw how sad Lucy looked. The only problem was that Virgo had already started wrapping his ribs to help them heal properly, so all Ryos could do was sit completely still.

"So, you know who I am?" she asked.

"Yes," Ryos said. "Your name is Lucy, but everyone in the guild calls you 'The Bitch' when you're not around. Gajeel calls you 'Bunny Girl' but I don't know why. You order a strawberry smoothie every day, and scared Tom before you even joined the guild. You're the only one that stands up to Gajeel. You came back from your first mission practically naked and covered in rain and dirt. You've been in the guild for four months. You and Gajeel went on a mission for over a month, then you left the next day on what I'm assuming was another mission and you came back today."

"Did you really try talking to Gajeel while he was eating?" Lucy asked.

Ryos nodded. "I wanted him to teach me how to be stronger like him," he answered sadly. "Master Jose said I should just try talking to him again when he was back from his mission with you, and I was too scared to do it until today. I should have waited until he wasn't busy."

"What do you mean 'again'?" Lucy asked, furrowing her brow at the boy.

"It happens all the time," he answered softly. "Every time I ask him the same thing, and he beats me up. I hoped he would be nicer since… Since I'm like him."

Lucy frowned and looked up at Virgo who had just finished wrapping Ryos' ribs and started checking his legs for any other injuries. She watched Virgo take off one of his shoes and saw his ankle was swollen and purple. "So, he's done this before?" she finally asked, looking back up at the boy while he put his shirt back on.

Ryos winced when Virgo started poking at his swollen ankle, but he nodded in answer to Lucy's question regardless of the pain.

"Why did you think I wouldn't be nice to you if I knew you were already in the guild?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know," Ryos said automatically.

"Ryos," Lucy warned.

He sighed and wished he could disappear right then, just slip into the shadows like he normally did when he avoided confrontations. He couldn't though—Lucy and Virgo were trying to help him, and Skiadrum had taught him to accept help when it was offered, and offer it in return. "I saw how you're not scared of Gajeel, and I thought you were just like him. I was afraid that you'd hurt me too."

"Princess would never hurt you," Virgo said solemnly while she finished wrapping the boy's ankle. "She has a short temper and tends to yell, but she would not stoop to hitting someone younger than her when they are no threat to her. She has a pure heart, and you would do well to remember that."

"Virgo," Lucy said softly, pushing her eyebrows together when Virgo glanced at her. Lucy turned to Ryos and sighed. "She's right. I won't hurt you when you're not a threat to me, and especially not when you need my help. I'm sorry you've been afraid of me all this time, Ryos. It must have been lonely for you in this guild."

Ryos nodded and glanced at Lucy through his hair. "It's okay. I joined so I could meet Gajeel anyway."

Lucy's eyes widened in shock. "Really?"

Ryos nodded again.

After a silent minute, Lucy said, "Virgo, head back for now. I'll summon you when I'm meeting with Master." Once Virgo disappeared, Lucy looked at Ryos and shook her head. The boy looked so defeated right then, as if there wasn't a thing in the world that could make him feel better. Lucy knew she needed to meet with Master Jose, but she wasn't willing to part with Ryos just then. Not when he really needed to have someone by his side. Lucy moved so she was sitting with her back leaning against the headboard, and smiled when Ryos looked questioningly at her. She opened her arms and said, "Come here, you look like you could use a hug."

Ryos moved slowly over to where Lucy was, partly from the pain he was in and partly from his lack of trust in pretty much everyone around him. He carefully moved into her embrace, laying his head on her collar bone and closing his eyes when her arms wrapped around him lightly. He cautiously moved his hand so that his arm wrapped around her bare waist, and waited for her to push him away.

"You don't have to feel lonely, Ryos," Lucy whispered, sifting her fingers through his hair. "I'll be your friend, okay?"

"You will?" he asked softly.

Lucy nodded and smiled when he glanced up at her. "No matter what happens in the future, or how long it is until we see each other again, I'll always be your friend."

"Are you planning on leaving?" he asked as he lowered his head to her chest again and closed his eyes.

"No, I'm not leaving," Lucy said softly, "But, life likes to throw all kinds of twists and turns our way, so there may come a time where we don't see each other for a while. Whether it's a long mission, or something else, you'll still have my friendship."

"How can we be friends if I never see you again?"

Lucy giggled and said, "Friendship doesn't necessarily mean you have to be right next to each other. It just means that there's someone out there that you care about, and cares about you in return. I'm friends with my Celestial Spirits, and they live in a whole other world. So, no matter where we go I'll be your friend. Will you be mine too?"

Ryos smiled and nodded squeezing her tightly and ignoring the pain that flared in his whole body from the action. "I'll be your friend too, Lucy," he whispered happily.

Lucy heard the smile in his voice, how happy he sounded from such a simple thing as friendship. In all honesty, she was just as happy over the whole thing. This boy, with eyes that matched Gajeel's and inky black hair, was her first real friend aside from her spirits. "You need to get some rest, Ryos," she said while her fingers kept running through his hair.

"Do you have to go?" he asked sadly. "You said you have a meeting with Master."

Lucy sighed and said, "How about I stay until you fall asleep? Then I'll come back after I'm finished with the meeting and we can have lunch."

Ryos grinned when he looked up at her. "You'd do that?" he asked hopefully.

Lucy giggled and nodded at him. "Of course. That's what friends are for! They take care of each other."

"That sounds like family," Ryos said softly while he and Lucy laid down on the bed. He watched her pull the blanket up and over both of them before she settled back against the bed and pulled him closer to her.

"I guess it is in a way," Lucy said softly, propping her head up on her hand while she looked down at Ryos. "The closer you are to your friends, the more they feel like your own family—brothers and sisters even though you're not blood-related. Maybe one day you'll be just like my little brother."

Ryos smiled again and looked up at the kind brown eyes of the blonde and said, "Do you have any family?"

Lucy's smile faltered and she shook her head sadly. "I have a dad, but we don't get along at all. I ran away from home because he was trying to force me to be miserable for the rest of my life."

"No one else?"

Lucy shook her head again. "My mom died a few years ago, and I was an only child. What about you?"

Ryos shook his head and looked away while he said, "No. I don't have a family at all. My dad got sick when I was still pretty little, and he died. I've been alone ever since."

Lucy frowned and leaned down to kiss the bandages running across Ryos' forehead. When he looked up at her in surprise with a blush on his cheeks, she smiled softly at him. "Well, I'm sure you and I will be just like siblings one day. Then we won't be alone anymore."

Ryos smiled up at Lucy and nodded, then yawned. "I'd like that."

"Go on and get some sleep," Lucy said. "Remember, I'll come back after my meeting."

"What if Gajeel comes in while you're gone?" he asked.

"Then you get away from him as fast as possible, and come get me," Lucy answered. "I'll protect you."

"Promise?" Ryos asked sleepily as he laid his head back down and nestled his nose against her collar bone, smiling when he smelled the sweet cake-like scent of the blonde woman.

"I promise," Lucy answered softly. She couldn't help but smile down at the boy while he drifted off to sleep, and the way he had nuzzled her was reminiscent of exactly what Gajeel did when she was lying in bed with him. Granted, Ryos' nose pressed against Lucy's collar bone did absolutely nothing for her except melt her heart. When Gajeel did it, a thrill ran through her that sent heat pooling low in her belly and her body clenching excitedly for what she knew was coming. Lucy brushed her fingers through Ryos' hair again and again while his breathing evened out completely, watching over him just as she said she would.

After thirty minutes, Lucy knew she needed to get out to meet with Master Jose. She was sure he was giving her time to tend to Ryos' wounds, but there was only so long that he would be willing to wait. Lucy carefully pulled herself from the boy's grasp, then leaned down and kissed his forehead once more and whispered, "I'll be back soon, Ryos." She watched him curl around the area she had been laying, nestling his nose in the pillow and sighing happily in his sleep, then held onto her keys while she silently made her way out of the infirmary. Her face dropped into a scowl when she entered the main hall and heard Gajeel crunching away at his metal. With renewed anger, Lucy marched over to him and crossed her arms under her chest while he studiously ignored her.

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her and continued eating, wondering if she was itching for the beating Master Jose had denied him giving her earlier. It was common knowledge for everyone to leave him be while he was eating. Even the brat he'd beaten up _again_ knew it, but it hadn't stopped the kid from trying to ask Gajeel to train him.

"I don't know what your problem is," Lucy said, her voice terrifyingly quiet, "But if I find so much as a misplaced hair on his head after my meeting, I'm _going_ to kill you. That includes him 'miraculously' disappearing."

Gajeel rolled his eyes, then growled when she smacked him in the back of the head.

"I'm serious, Gajeel. Leave him alone."

"Am I fucking with him right now?" Gajeel asked. "I'm not wasting my time on some weak piece of shit. He's not bothering me, so I don't care. _You_ on the other hand…"

Lucy raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to make a move. "Go ahead. Try something. See what happens to you," she seethed.

"Tch. Go see Master, Bunny Girl," Gajeel grumbled, tilting his head towards the balcony. "Told me he's waiting for you."

Lucy sighed and nodded, sending one last glare at Gajeel before she turned around and made her way up the stairs. Once she reached the top, Lucy saw Master Jose waiting for her and she gave him the sweetest smile she could muster in spite of her agitation. "Hello, Master Jose," she said warmly.

"Lucy," Jose said with a warm smile and turning to walk back to his office with the blonde. "How is the boy?"

"He's resting right now. Broken nose, a few broken ribs, and a sprained ankle," Lucy said sadly. "He'll be alright."

"Thank you for tending his wounds, Lucy," Jose said. He slowly opened the door to his office and ushered the busty blonde inside. Once the door was closed, he strode over to his desk and took a seat, then motioned for Lucy to sit as well.

Lucy smiled and bowed, then quickly sat down in the chair and waited for Master Jose to speak.

"I assume the mission was successful?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes and no," Lucy answered. When he frowned and looked at her expectantly, Lucy sighed and said, "I had direct contact with four Fairy Tail mages."

"I said you needed to avoid them," Jose said solemnly.

"Yes, I know," Lucy answered. She kept eye contact with him while she continued. "The first two were on the train to Magnolia. It was completely packed, so I was forced to sit with them. We had already started talking by the time I found out they were Fairies, so it would have been suspicious for me to suddenly leave."

"And the others?"

"I was watching the guild from a coffee shop and Erza Scarlet sat at my table while she waited for her order. We talked about cake," Lucy answered. "She's under the impression that I'm a brunette named Layla. The last one was Natsu Dragneel. He found me on a roof while I was scouting the guild at night, but he was too dense to realize what I was doing. Since I was wearing all black and had wrapped my scarf over my face to keep warm, he thought I was playing a game. I used my knowledge of his rivalry with another guild mate to give him the slip."

Jose tilted his head to the side while he laced his fingers together. "Very well. It seems the circumstances were unavoidable," he said slowly. "What information did you find?"

Lucy grinned deviously and asked, "Would you like all of it or a summary?"

Jose raised an intrigued eyebrow and said, "Both."

Lucy stood up and summoned Virgo. In a flash of golden light, the maid appeared in a deep and respectful bow towards her Princess and the guild master. "Punishment, Princess?" she asked as she stood up.

Lucy smiled at the pink-haired spirit and said, "No, Virgo. No punishment. Could you please bring me all of the information that was gathered on Fairy Tail?"

"Of course, Princess," Virgo said with another bow before she disappeared.

Jose watched the spirit vanish, then looked at Lucy as she sat back down with a smirk. "Will she be gone long?" he asked.

"No, sir," Lucy said. "It won't be much longer."

As if on cue, Virgo reappeared with three large boxes in her hands, several rolls of blueprints, and a notebook tucked into her pocket. "Where would you like them, Princess?" she asked.

Lucy turned to look at Master Jose in question, and he pointed to the floor next to him. He watched Virgo walk over and carefully set everything down, then pull the notebook from her pocket and set it on his desk. She bowed to him once and walked back to stand next to Lucy. "Thank you, Virgo. You can go back now," Lucy said with a smile. She watched Virgo bow once more before disappearing, then turned to Master Jose. "I was able to find the information you requested, Master," Lucy said as Jose started flipping through the notebook. "That notebook is filled with time frames that I was observing the guild. They open at dawn and close some time after midnight. It appears to fluctuate depending on the day or the events of the day. Without more time there, I couldn't find a definitive answer."

"And these names?" Jose asked as he continued skimming through the highly detailed notations in the notebook.

"Those names are members of the guild," Lucy answered. "They—"

Jose put a hand up and sighed, then looked at Lucy. "I need you to bring Gajeel in here, Lucy," he said with a smile. "He will be taking a mission soon, and this information is pertinent for his success."

Lucy kept her face blank and nodded, then stood up and said, "I'll be right back, Master." She made her way out of the room and down the hall to the balcony. One glance told her that Gajeel wasn't at his table, so she walked down the stairs and through the back hall that led to the training grounds. Any time Gajeel wasn't eating, he was out back working on some form of training. On the way, she heard the Dragon Slayer's growling voice from behind the infirmary door, and anger shot through her while she rushed in to see him towering over Ryos.

"I-I'm sorry," Ryos whimpered, pushing himself further against the headboard and cowering from the irate Slayer in front of him. "I w-won't bother you again."

Gajeel growled, his mouth splitting into a grin that promised a world of pain. "How do I know you're not lying, brat?" he asked.

"I—"

"Gajeel!" Lucy shouted, running into the room to stand between Ryos and the Iron Slayer. "I thought I told you to stay the hell away from him!"

Gajeel sneered and clenched his fists. "It's not what you—"

"Really?!" Lucy screeched, taking a step forward and roughly poking Gajeel's chest, "Because it looks like you're about to eat him, you rusty piece of scrap metal!"

Gajeel snarled and grabbed her hand, then spun her around and pulled it up between her shoulder blades. His other hand shot up and roughly grasped her chin while he grinned darkly at the frightened boy on the bed. "What have I told you about poking me, Bunny Girl?" he ground out, pulling her arm just a little higher and chuckling when a small whimper of pain escaped her as he dislocated her shoulder completely.

Lucy ground her teeth to combat the pain that shot through her when her arm conveniently vacated its comfortable little socket. She glanced at Ryos and saw that he was visibly shaking in fear while he watched what was happening to her. "Let me go, Gajeel. You're scaring him," she seethed.

"Good," Gajeel drawled, chuckling again when the boy curled in on himself more. "He should be. Just like you."

Lucy snorted and rolled her eyes. "I've never been scared of you, Gajeel. Now let me go before I hurt you." When Gajeel laughed again, Lucy silently brought her foot up and kicked back towards his knee, then used her free arm that he hadn't thought to trap and elbowed him in the gut. His hand let go of her chin, and Lucy didn't even question herself before headbutting him. She stumbled forward and caught herself on the bed, shaking her head to get rid of the dizziness she felt. _Every damn time!, _she thought angrily.

"L-Lucy!" Ryos cried out, shuffling towards her in an attempt at helping her before Gajeel got to her first.

Lucy smiled at Ryos and winked, then whirled around just as Gajeel's hand dropped from his nose and he glared at her. "What are you doing in here, Gajeel?" she asked, still standing protectively in front of the frightened, injured boy on the bed and ignoring the pain in her shoulder.

Gajeel growled at her. "I trained you too fucking well, Bunny," he grumbled while he sat down on another bed.

Ryos gasped and looked at Lucy with wide eyes when she laughed and made her way over to Gajeel. _He… trained her?_ It made sense that Gajeel had trained her if she was able to fend him off for even a minute, but Ryos had been trying to get the man to train him and had never succeeded. _That's why she's willing to stand up to him,_ he realized, _She knows how to defend herself because he taught her. _Ryos had a newfound respect for both of the older mages while he sat there in silence: Gajeel had taken on a student, so maybe it wasn't completely hopeless for Ryos to learn from the Slayer, and Lucy was proof of the fact that Gajeel's training was effective with how she caught him by surprise. He watched with rapt attention as Lucy picked up a clean washcloth and started wiping the blood from Gajeel's face. Ryos couldn't understand how she could go from fighting and yelling to being gentle and caring for the other man's wounds in an instant. He didn't know why Gajeel had suddenly backed off, or why he was letting Lucy take care of him, and he couldn't smell too much because of how much his nose had swelled already. At least Ryos could still smell Lucy's scent in the room.

Lucy smirked as Gajeel blew his nose and glared at her. "Looks like I broke one of your bones for a change," she taunted.

"Shut it," he grumbled, wincing when she placed her dainty fingers along the piercings in his nose and started to set it. He could see the pain she was hiding as clear as day in her eyes, and Gajeel knew that she was ignoring it so that she could help him. Just like every other time he had hurt her, Lucy ignored her own injuries to get rid of any pain she had caused him first.

"Oh, don't be a big baby," Lucy said, rolling her eyes when he cursed under his breath. She wiped away the excess blood once she was finished then cleaned up the small lash mark that was left on his cheek from when she'd arrived at the guild. "Do you want a splint for your nose, or are you too manly for that?"

"I'm good," Gajeel answered as he grabbed her hand and placed it on his shoulder. Once her hand was in place, he set one of his hands on her injured arm and the other on her opposite shoulder. She looked at him questioningly for only a moment, then smirked and quickly shifted her body so her shoulder popped back into place.

Lucy hissed in pain and tightly gripped Gajeel's shoulder, clenching her eyes shut and waiting for the worst of it to go away. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, the pain started to fade into a dull ache, and she was able to pull away. "Fuck that hurts," Lucy grumbled before turning and walking back over to sit next to Ryos on the other bed. "Come here," she whispered to the wide-eyed boy that was staring at her.

Ryos stared at her, then glanced at Gajeel to see that the older mage was also staring at Lucy. He pushed himself back towards the headboard, away from her, and lowered his head in the hopes that everyone would forget he was in the room.

"Ryos," Lucy said softly, pushing her eyebrows together in concern. She carefully moved up the bed to sit next to him and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "It's okay. You're safe."

Ryos wrapped his arms around his ribs in an attempt to keep some distance between himself and Lucy, quickly glancing at Gajeel through his hair to see a single pierced eyebrow raised while he watched the blonde woman. He wanted to be comforted by her, wanted it more than anything in that moment, but he could practically see it in the way Gajeel was staring at the two that Ryos needed to keep his distance from Lucy. Something about the situation was forcing his unrefined instincts to light up in warning, but he had no idea why. It didn't make sense for Gajeel's presence to make the boy uncomfortable around Lucy, especially since she was the one that had saved him from the older Slayer twice already. She was his friend, and all Ryos wanted was for her to help him feel less afraid.

"Well good job, Copper Crotch," Lucy sighed, glaring at the Slayer on the other bed. She turned back to Ryos and forced him to lift his head and look at her. Once their eyes met, she gave him a soft smile and brushed his hair from his face, then whispered, "I told you I'd protect you. Now come give me a hug so I know you're alright."

Ryos' eyebrows pushed together while he tried to hold himself back, but one look at the kindness in Lucy's eyes cracked his resolve. He fought it with everything he had, wanting to keep some sense of dignity in front of his idol—he didn't want the man to think he was a baby or too weak to be worth his time. Ryos felt Lucy's thumbs tracing over his cheeks while they looked at each other, and another crack appeared in that wall he'd been attempting to build. She patiently waited for him to do what she'd asked, and the tenderness Lucy was showing him that was so at odds with how fiercely she'd defended him from Gajeel before finally made that wall inside of the boy crumble. He took a shaky breath, his body trembling for only a moment, then whimpered. He saw the sadness in her eyes when that sound left him, but he couldn't stop himself. Finally, Ryos let his arms shoot out to wrap around her waist while he openly cried against her chest.

"It's okay, Ryos," Lucy whispered, wrapping her arms around him protectively and running her fingers through his hair over and over. She looked up to glare at Gajeel only to see his jaw dropped open in shock and his eyes wide. "This is your fault, Gajeel," she said sternly. "I told you to leave him alone."

"I… Shit, Bunny," Gajeel grumbled, running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, 'shit' is right," Lucy shot back. "What the hell?"

"I was coming to explain shit to him," Gajeel answered.

"Explain what?" she asked.

"Can't tell y—"

"You had fucking _better_ tell me, you son of a bitch!" Lucy shouted, sighing when Ryos flinched and squeezed her tightly. Her voice softened considerably while she looked at the mop of inky black hair, and Lucy whispered, "It's alright. No one's mad at you, okay?"

Ryos sniffled and nodded, but kept his eyes closed while he took in her scent. He was still sobbing like a baby, but he didn't care who saw him. He'd been alone and frightened almost his entire life, and this was the first time that he'd had anyone truly comfort him since he'd lost Skiadrum.

Lucy looked back up at Gajeel and said, "Master said you needed to be in the meeting, so I was coming to get you. You've got some _serious_ explaining to do about all this shit."

Gajeel sneered at her, knowing that there really wasn't much he could do about it. Lucy tended to keep good on threats—even if her retribution for some past wrong wasn't as vivid as she threatened, she would still find some way to punish him—and if Master needed to see them both then he couldn't waste time arguing with her. "Well, let's go."

Lucy frowned and looked down at Ryos, who had tensed when Gajeel mentioned leaving. She looked pleadingly up at Gajeel, hoping he could buy her a little time to calm the boy down.

"Oi, let her go brat," Gajeel said gruffly, smirking when Ryos quickly pulled away from Lucy and kept his head down while he roughly wiped the tears from his face. When he saw Lucy frowning at him, Gajeel sighed and strode over to the pair. He smacked Lucy in the back of the head when she moved in front of Ryos, and reached down to her keys. Faster than she could stop him, Gajeel pulled her key ring off of her and grabbed all five of the silver keys she had. "Call out Plue, have him stay here until you're done," he said as he pushed the keys back to Lucy.

Lucy smiled up at Gajeel and singled out Plue's key. She quickly summoned him and introduced him to Ryos, then turned to the still trembling boy and said, "Okay, Plue will keep you company until I'm done. If anyone bothers you in here, he can let me know and I'll be right back down. Is that alright?"

"It has to be," Gajeel added sternly, crossing his arms over his chest with a scowl. "If Master's waiting, he'll be pissed that we're taking so long."

Lucy sighed and nodded in agreement, then looked expectantly at Ryos. "Sound good?" she whispered.

Ryos nodded slowly, pulling Plue to his chest and letting a small smile curl his lips when he felt the little spirit trembling in his arms. "Will we still have lunch together?" he asked softly.

"Of course," Lucy said happily as she stood up from the bed. She leaned over and kissed the top of his head, giggling when she heard Gajeel growl softly by the door. "I'll bring back some food for us to eat. Try to get some more rest, Ryos."

He nodded again and looked up into Lucy's eyes. "Thank you, Lucy," he whispered.

"Any time, Ryos," she said with a smile before turning around and roughly pushing Gajeel out of the infirmary door.

"What the hell, Bunny?" Gajeel whispered while they walked back down the hallway.

"What?"

"Since when are you and the brat all buddy-buddy?" he grumbled.

Lucy smirked and glanced up at Gajeel. "Are you jealous?" she asked teasingly. When he narrowed his eyes at her, Lucy rolled hers in return. "I'll explain it later, Gajeel," she whispered just before they returned to the main guild. "For now, all you need to know is that my mission was a success, and what I found will apparently help on the mission Master is sending you on some time."

Gajeel nodded and sighed when they started walking up the stairs. "Later then," he said softly. "Glad you made it back okay."

Lucy smirked and lightly elbowed him just before they reached Master Jose's office. "Shitty little Fairies can't hurt me. I was trained by Black Steel Gajeel, remember?" she shot back just before opening the door.

"I see you've finally returned," Jose said with an amused smirk when he saw the slight swelling in Gajeel's nose.

Lucy smiled sweetly and stood in front of Master Jose, then bowed and took her previous seat when he waved her to it. "Sorry, Master," she said softly, "I had to have a little discussion with Gajeel about something."

Gajeel snorted and crossed his arms over his chest while he stood in his usual spot in front of Master Jose's desk.

"Something to add, Gajeel?" Jose asked.

"No, Master," Gajeel answered.

"Very well," Jose said with a smirk, lacing his fingers together and looking back at Lucy. "Please continue, Lucy."

"Right," Lucy said, taking a deep breath, "Well, as I said. The notebook has times of my observance of the guild hall itself, along with opening and closing times. The names in the notebook are guild members and their movements in relation to the guild hall, plus the time they arrived or left depending on when I saw them."

Jose nodded and handed the notebook to Gajeel who instantly opened it only to frown at a random signature. "What's with the signature?" he asked, turning it to Lucy and seeing the corner of her mouth quirk up.

"Well, as I told Master Jose, I ran into Erza Scarlet at a coffee shop," Lucy said, "We talked about cake, but initially I pretended to be a fan of hers. I got her autograph."

Gajeel snorted and said, "Right, but why?"

"Because, dumbass," Lucy ground out, rolling her eyes with a sigh, "There are plenty of things that can ruin someone's life if you have access to their signature. I don't know how to go about _doing_ any of them, but having the signature itself could prove beneficial to the guild should Master Jose decide to take that course of action for any reason."

Jose chuckled and said, "I doubt I would use something like that, Lucy."

Lucy shrugged and said, "Well, you have it if you change your mind, Master. Either way, I couldn't play the part of a fan and _not_ ask for an autograph. So, there it is." She paused and took a deep breath, then said, "The notebook itself is mostly just my shorthand notes from what I saw. Any patterns I noticed with the guild members themselves are noted in their files."

"Files?" Gajeel asked with a scowl.

Lucy grinned and stood up from her seat to walk over to the boxes Virgo had brought. She picked up the first two and said, "These are detailed files on every member of Fairy Tail. There are color-coded folders for them: red for their five S-Class mages; yellow for previous candidates for S-Class promotion, and any others that are as powerful (or more powerful) on average than I am right now; and green for any who are weaker than I currently am on average based on their magic. There are pictures of each member that were taken from Sorcerer's Weekly, along with detailed descriptions of the magic each member uses, and any known abilities they possess; there are even a few pictures of their magic in action. Also, in each file there are several personal notes on the members: their likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, and of course anything that could potentially be exploited. Finally, there are only a few actual teams in the guild, but I've grouped the members into either the team they work on or who they most often spend their time around."

"How did you get so much information on them?" Jose asked cautiously.

Lucy grinned and said, "The two Fairies I had to sit with on the train were _very_ forthcoming with information on their 'family' when I asked them to tell me stories about their missions and the guild. They were trying to convince me to join them when I said I was looking into different guilds since I'm an independent mage. Their magical strength was the result of my spirit Crux's search: I had him compare the average strength of that type of magic user with my own strength; which means that these are rough estimates of how difficult they would be for me to beat. Anything else I gathered was from either watching them or piecing together information from six months' worth of magazines in the library."

"And the building?" Jose asked.

Lucy bent down and opened the last box. "This box contains any and all information I could find on the renovations to the guild over the years. The blueprints have key structural weaknesses already circled and highlighted. If a single one of those is destroyed, it could take out at least a quarter of the guild hall, since they're from the original construction." She picked up one blueprint in particular unrolled it across Master Jose's desk, then added, "This is the closest approximation of the guild hall with the renovations included. It took some time to draw this out since there are several areas that have been demolished repeatedly, and additions that have been made for seemingly pointless reasons; however, I took the liberty of color-coding the structural weaknesses on this as well. They range from red to green, with red causing the most destruction and green causing minimal or superficial damage."

Jose looked over the blueprints that were laid in front of him. He was pleasantly surprised at how thorough Lucy had been in her search, and watched her closely while she walked back around his desk to take her seat again with only a humble smile on her face. A quick glance at Gajeel showed him that the Slayer was already attempting to make sense of the notes Lucy had taken in the notebook—something that Jose had even struggled with. Her handwriting was absolutely impeccable, as it should be for someone with her heritage, but she apparently had a knack for making sure anyone that found her notes would be utterly confused without some sort of context and key to deciphering it. Gajeel's assessment of her abilities when it came to tactics was spot-on, though Jose ventured that adding acting and deceit to that list wouldn't be too far of a stretch. She had been able to interact with four different Fairy Tail mages and give them the slip, even going so far as getting inside information from what would normally be common conversation among mages. In short, she was a very valuable asset to his guild. "Lucy," he said once he looked back at the blonde, "Please tell me how you went about keeping your identity hidden."

Lucy smiled and nodded. "When I left town, I hadn't figured out just how much I would need to disguise myself, so I covered my guild mark with makeup and a shirt that actually covered my stomach." She laughed and nodded when Jose's jaw dropped in shock. "Yes, Master. I own normal shirts too."

Jose shook away his stupor and smiled at Lucy, then motioned for her to continue.

"So, while I was on the train with the Fairies, they saw what I usually look like. They know my name is Lucy and that I was travelling from Oak Town, but I also told them that I move around a lot and haven't settled down just yet. The next day, I summoned Cancer and tried to get him to dye my hair for the mission so I wouldn't be recognized by those two Fairies if we crossed paths again, but he suggested wearing a wig. That was the day I met Erza Scarlet at the coffee shop as a short-haired brunette named Layla. My hair was a different color, length, and style every day, I wore clothes that didn't reveal my guild mark or too much skin, and occasionally wore contacts just to make myself a little more unrecognizable. Last night when Natsu found me on the roof, I had black hair—as I said, I was wearing all black and he thought I was playing a game." Lucy snorted and shook her head, then added, "He thought I was pretending to be a ninja. So, I led him away from the guild and when I realized he was really too dumb to be of any use, I used his rivalry with Gray Fullbuster to my advantage by saying the mage had challenged him to a fight at the guild. He ran off right afterwards, and that was it. This morning, I decided to allow my guild mark to finally be visible since I was leaving Magnolia, but still kept my hair in the red wig you all saw."

Jose nodded and hummed in thought while he looked at Lucy. "Well, I _did_ tell you to avoid direct contact with the Fairies," he said with a scowl, watching her sigh and nod sadly, "However, the information you found from those interactions seems to be well worth it. Not only have you excelled in the primary task you were assigned, you have also given us tons of insight into the inner workings of the guild itself. How well do you know the information you've brought, Lucy?"

Lucy grinned and said, "It's all memorized, Master. I can match the name and magic with the face almost instantly as if I've known them for years. Same with the blueprints."

Jose grinned and said, "Very well. I will definitely be sure to use this particularly intriguing skill of yours in the future. You've done well."

Lucy bowed her head and said, "Thank you, Master. It is the Phantom Lord way, after all."

"Indeed," Jose mused, then looked over at Gajeel who had stayed completely silent and continued reading through the notebook in his hands. "Gajeel," he said solemnly, smirking when the fiery red eyes of the Slayer instantly rose to meet his gaze, "You will be working with Lucy for the next week while you prepare for your mission."

Gajeel sneered and narrowed his eyes at Master Jose. "I can just read the files, Master."

"Nonsense," Jose said, waving his hand dismissively, "She knows all of the information herself, and any questions you might have can easily be answered by her." He turned to look at Lucy and raised an eyebrow in question as he asked, "Is that alright with you, Lucy?"

Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers and sighed, but still nodded. "If those are my orders, Master," she answered.

"Gajeel?" Jose asked.

"Guess it can't be helped," Gajeel growled. "Orders are orders."

"Wonderful!" Jose said happily. "Now, go on and get to work. Gajeel, meet me in one week for your mission briefing."

"Yes, Master," Gajeel and Lucy said simultaneously as she rose from her seat. She quickly summoned Virgo once more and said, "Virgo, can you please hold onto these files for me? Just a little bit longer."

"Of course, Princess," Virgo said with a bow before collecting everything she had dropped off and disappearing back to the Spirit World.

Lucy bowed to Master Jose, then turned to walk out of his office with Gajeel hot on her heels. "He's trying to push us together," Lucy grumbled softly, knowing Gajeel would hear her.

"I know," Gajeel answered. "Your place or mine?"

Lucy stopped and frowned at him, then said, "Neither." When Gajeel raised an eyebrow in question at her, Lucy sighed and shook her head at him before she continued walking. "I told Ryos that I would have lunch with him after I was finished in the meeting. You really scared the shit out of him, you know."

"That was the point, Bunny Girl," Gajeel growled.

"Well, you're shit out of luck when it comes to being anywhere near me until I know _why_ you're so bent on him being afraid of you."

"He'll understand after I talk to him," Gajeel said.

Lucy frowned up at him and stopped on the second floor before they reached the stairs, crossing her arms under her chest. "You're not going near him without me there, so if you have something you need to say to him I'll hear it too."

"You can't."

"Well, I'm not letting you talk with him alone. If that was you trying to talk to him when I came in earlier, then there's no way I'm letting that shit happen again," Lucy said, her anger rising at Gajeel's stubbornness on the topic. "Master's going to be pissed if he sees that you're still here and not getting to work on everything, but I made a promise to Ryos. I don't give a flying fuck what you do with your time for the rest of the day, but you stay the hell away from him."

"Bunny—"

"No," Lucy said firmly, scowling up at Gajeel, "He's had enough of your 'macho-super-testosterone' bullshit for one day. I said I'd protect him, and that's what I'm doing. I'll meet you at your table tomorrow morning and we'll get to work then. Got it?" Lucy didn't wait for him to answer her, instead turning and stalking down the stairs to order lunch for herself and the injured boy from Tom.

Gajeel growled and narrowed his eyes as he watched Lucy sit down on her barstool and wait for her order. Once it was out, she smiled warmly at Tom, paid him, and walked down the hall towards the little brat's room in the infirmary. Rolling his eyes and deciding that—yet again—the little blonde was right, Gajeel stalked out of the guild towards his apartment to eat a huge pile of metal and try to figure out what he was going to tell the kid the next time Gajeel saw him. He knew Ryos was a Dragon Slayer like himself, but he was weak as hell and way too young to have been properly trained by his dragon. It took years to learn how to control their magic and understand all of the things Slayers needed to, and Ryos couldn't have been more than a few years old when Metallicana disappeared. Obviously the kid's dragon wasn't around either, and Gajeel wondered if his dragon left the same way, but Ryos was wading dangerously close to crossing a line with Gajeel where Lucy was concerned. He couldn't understand what it meant, or why the line was there, but Gajeel knew he hated the fact that she'd chosen the boy over him. Of course, with Lucy ignoring him, Gajeel also had no way to relieve the tension that had been building up for the past week while she was gone either. _That has to be it,_ he told himself, _I'm pissed because we should be fucking, and she chose the brat over fucking me._

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><p><strong>And that's it! What did you guys think of the twelve-year-old Ryos? (Yeah, we all know he's really Rogue, but he hasn't changed his name yet)... After some research and using my wonderful friend that's a huge FT fanatic, I got some great ideas on how to integrate him into the story. I wonder just what Master Jose is planning… Hmm…<strong>

**So, Review, Follow, Favorite! I love you guys!~~GemNika. (Citric Chancellor of The Crack Fiction Liberation Army)**


	8. I Only Want The Truth

**A/N: SQUEE! Amazing reviews again! So, I didn't think about the fact that not everyone knows that Ryos is actually Rogue when I wrote the note last chapter. I considered taking it out of there, but then decided that there are honestly so many big spoilers in some of the other stories (like, the whole GMG Arc if you're not there yet) that it's pointless. I will apologize to anyone that didn't already know that, because I know how it feels to read something and go "Well, damn. I haven't gotten there yet." So, yeah. Sorry about that.**

**Regardless, I'm glad you all enjoyed seeing the precious Ryos last chapter. And he will be in the story as time goes on. I can't say how much or how little without ruining anything, so you'll just have to wait and see. Now, on to the chapter!**

**(I don't own Fairy Tail.)**

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><p><em>Gajeel growled and narrowed his eyes as he watched Lucy sit down on her barstool and wait for her order. Once it was out, she smiled warmly at Tom, paid him, and walked down the hall towards the little brat's room in the infirmary. Rolling his eyes and deciding that—yet again—the little blonde was right, Gajeel stalked out of the guild towards his apartment to eat a huge pile of metal and try to figure out what he was going to tell the kid the next time Gajeel saw him. He knew Ryos was a Dragon Slayer like himself, but he was weak as hell and way too young to have been properly trained by his dragon. It took years to learn how to control their magic and understand all of the things Slayers needed to, and Ryos couldn't have been more than a few years old when Metallicana disappeared. Obviously the kid's dragon wasn't around either, and Gajeel wondered if his dragon left the same way, but Ryos was wading dangerously close to crossing a line with Gajeel where Lucy was concerned. He couldn't understand what it meant, or why the line was there, but Gajeel knew he hated the fact that she'd chosen the boy over him. Of course, with Lucy ignoring him, Gajeel also had no way to relieve the tension that had been building up for the past week while she was gone either. 'That has to be it,' he told himself, 'I'm pissed because we should be fucking, and she chose the brat over fucking me.'<em>

~.~

Lucy walked back into the infirmary with the lunch she'd gotten for herself and Ryos, and couldn't help but smile when she saw that he'd fallen asleep again with Plue wrapped in his arms like a stuffed animal. She slowly set everything down on the small table next to Ryos' bed, then sat down on the edge of the bed and threaded her fingers through his hair. Pushing his hair from his face again, Lucy sighed when she saw the damage that Gajeel had inflicted on the boy. No one that young should have to deal with the pain that Gajeel's hits could inflict, and a sour feeling settled in Lucy's stomach at the thought of being close to the man that had done something so terrible. She had known that he wasn't the nicest guy around, and he definitely wasn't great when it came to his temper, but some part of Lucy thought that there would be something inside of Gajeel that would keep him from hurting a kid. She had made an assumption based on the man that she thought he was from their time away from the guild, and there was a painful pang inside of her heart when she realized that she had been wrong about him. Gajeel wasn't good and sweet and kind, he was ruthless to a fault and always would be that way. Lucy had deluded herself into believing that his time with her had changed him into a kinder and gentler person.

Lucy frowned when she understood what bothered her about the whole situation with Gajeel. Sure, there was the fact that he had been abusing Ryos for almost a year, but when it translated to her own feelings for whatever she had with him, Lucy knew that she could only blame herself. Gajeel never tried to hide who he was from anyone, and Lucy had forced herself to believe that there was more to what they had together than a release of tension. Everything she had ever thought about Gajeel, every nice thing he had ever done for her, seemed to bring about only one question: how much of it was to get into her pants? Lucy didn't know if Gajeel had been sweet and kind while he was with her to ensure that he'd be able to keep fucking her, and she technically didn't have any right to question his motives because they weren't anything more than two people fucking. It hurt that she had started trusting Gajeel and opened herself up to him, only for him to remind her of who he really was before they took that mission. He was Black Steel Gajeel, and his reputation was very well-known. _Did you really think a month with you would change that?, _she thought sourly.

It wasn't that she wanted to change him, but she wanted to understand the man she'd allowed into her bed. How was it exactly that he could treat her the way she had seen in the cave, the woods, at sunrise, and at her home? How could Gajeel possibly be both a man that could harm a child like this repeatedly, with the same lost and kind soul Lucy thought she saw in him? Was there sincerity in what Gajeel had supposedly shown her while they were alone, or was it all just a scheme to get her guard down so he could get inside her head? Lucy sighed and looked sadly down at Ryos and Plue, and finally quietly told Plue to head back to the Spirit World. Once the spirit was gone, Lucy kicked off her boots, set her whip on the table next to the sandwiches she had brought, and quietly tucked her keys into her bra before lifting the blanket and tucking herself beneath it with the sleeping boy. Careful of his injuries, Lucy wrapped her arms around Ryos and pulled him closer, smiling sadly when his arm wrapped around her waist and he nuzzled her chest with a soft sigh. She carefully kissed the top of Ryos' head and closed her eyes, sifting her fingers through his hair again and again while her emotions and confusion overwhelmed her.

"Lucy?" Ryos asked softly, blinking away his sleep and pushing his eyebrows together while he looked up at the blonde that was holding him and silently crying. He'd woken up when she sent Plue away and kept silent while she crawled under the covers with him to lie down. When Ryos thought that she would just want to sleep, he'd gotten more comfortable and started drifting. He was in that odd in-between state of consciousness when his barely functioning nose picked up her tears, and it took everything in his power to keep himself still. She didn't make a single sound while her tears fell for the longest ten minutes of his life, but that was all he could stomach before he let her know he was awake. "Why are you crying?"

Lucy stiffened, her eyes going wide when she saw the unhidden concern in the red eyes looking at her, and she quickly pulled a hand to her face to roughly wipe away the traces of her sadness. With a sniffle and a watery smile, Lucy said, "It's nothing you need to worry about, Ryos."

"But, I thought you said friends take care of each other," Ryos countered. "Are you sad?"

Lucy let out a small chuckle and sniffled again, then kissed his bandaged forehead before saying, "In a way, I guess. More confused than anything else."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, smiling when she started running a hand through his hair again.

"I don't know where to start, Ryos," Lucy whispered sadly. "Even if I did, it's a conversation I need to have with someone else in particular."

"It's Gajeel, isn't it?" Ryos asked. When Lucy went rigid for a moment, he knew that he was right. Skiadrum may not have been able to teach him everything he needed to learn, but the dragon did impress upon Ryos how important it was to use his ability to detect scents and changes in them. He'd known since the pair came back from their mission that something was different. While Ryos wasn't as familiar with Lucy's scent—because he'd never gotten close enough to really take in just _how_ sweet it was—he knew Gajeel's very well. Their first day back at the guild, Lucy came in earlier than usual with Gajeel almost right behind her, and their scents were all over one another in a way that he'd already learned meant physical intimacy. While Ryos really didn't want to think about something like that, feeling as though he was prying into their personal lives by having that kind of information, it was just something he could smell. "What did he do to make you sad?"

"I-I never said…" Lucy paused and sighed. "How did you know?" she whispered.

Ryos blushed and looked away from her, then said, "I… I could… smell it."

Lucy frowned and pulled back to look fully at the boy. "What do you mean, 'smell' it?" she asked cautiously.

Ryos opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, unsure if he should tell Lucy about his magic since he had only ever told Master Jose what he was, and Gajeel instinctually knew it. "W-Well… Um…" he stuttered, blushing a deeper shade of red from his embarrassment at _what_ he had smelled before and how he couldn't currently articulate _how_ he was able to do so.

"It means the brat's a Dragon Slayer, Bunny," Gajeel answered from the doorway with a scowl. He'd gotten as far as the end of the block before he realized that he couldn't head to his house. No matter what Lucy planned on doing to him for not leaving the kid alone, there was some stuff that needed to get hashed out between himself and the boy, and the only way to do that without driving himself insane was to go back and talk to the kid, regardless of Lucy's presence. He'd stalked through the training field from a small side entrance, and silently walked back into the guild without being seen. Once he'd smelled Lucy's tears, Gajeel's feet had practically turned to lead and rooted him right outside of the infirmary door. He listened in on the conversation Ryos had started with her, and understood right then why Lucy was so protective of the boy—he'd called her his friend, and from the conversations Gajeel and Lucy had in the mountains, he knew that Ryos had to be her first real friend that wasn't a spirit. The fact that Lucy was crying over something Gajeel had done caused his stomach to churn, and he finally couldn't help but intrude when it seemed as though Ryos wasn't able to explain why he knew that about her.

Lucy went rigid again, partly from the news she'd just heard and partly from who had given it to her. After only a moment, Lucy sighed and dropped her head to the pillow in defeat. "What are you doing here?" she groaned into the pillowcase, deciding to deal with the more pressing issue of Gajeel's presence.

"Came to talk to him," Gajeel said gruffly while he closed and locked the infirmary door—silently wondering why there was even a lock on the door in the first place—then walked across the room to stand at the foot of the bed. "And to tell you that your tits are suffocating him," he added with a smirk.

Lucy squeaked and pushed herself up and away from Ryos, barely catching a glimpse of his bright red cheeks and stunned expression before she fell right off of the bed. She landed in a heavy heap on the ground and groaned in pain while she carefully pulled herself back upright. "Sorry," she muttered sheepishly, giving Ryos an apologetic smile and a shrug while she carefully sat back down.

Ryos blinked a few times and nodded before looking away and moving himself to sit up against the headboard.

"You didn't answer my question, Gajeel," Lucy said after a moment, turning to glare at the pierced man in the room.

Gajeel rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I did. I came to talk to him."

Lucy raised a disbelieving eyebrow in response.

"Goddamnit, woman," Gajeel grumbled, running a hand over his face. "You really shouldn't hear any of this shit, you know that?" he asked, glaring right at the buxom blonde.

"Why?" she retorted.

"Dragon Slayer thing," Gajeel grunted. "What I was trying to talk to him about when you came in earlier."

Lucy frowned, her eyebrows furrowing, then looked over at Ryos while she put the pieces together. "You're a Dragon Slayer," she said slowly. When he nodded, she narrowed her eyes at him and thought over what he'd told her before. "So, your dad was a dragon." He nodded again. "And you meant 'smell' as in—OH GOD!" Lucy threw her hands over her face as it flushed a red to rival the two pairs of eyes that were staring at her in shock and confusion.

"What did I miss?" Ryos asked, looking from Lucy to Gajeel. All he saw was the same confusion in Gajeel's face while he stared at the blushing blonde on the bed.

From behind her hands, her words muffled almost too much to be made out by the pair, Lucy said, "I knew I should have taken a shower before we left…"

Gajeel frowned and looked over at Ryos to see another deep blush on his cheeks while he stared guiltily at the blanket in front of him. "Seriously?" he asked the pair on the bed. "You smelled me all over her, and _that's_ what makes this weird?"

Lucy dropped her hands and glared at Gajeel, though she knew her face was still red. "He's a little young to just _know_ shit like that. Of course it's weird." When Ryos flinched next to her, Lucy sighed and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "It's alright, Ryos," she said gently. "I know you don't really have control over what you smell, so I'm not mad at you."

"Fuck," Gajeel grumbled, "So much nicer to him."

"That's because he's not a lying piece of shit, Gajeel," Lucy shot back with a venomous glare.

"When did I lie to you?!"

"I'm not having this conversation with you right now," Lucy answered. "We're in the guild, and this really should be between just the two of us."

"Tell me when I lied, and I'll drop it for now," Gajeel growled.

"Later," Lucy ground out, her teeth clenched tightly. Screw wanting to believe she was the delusional one. Lucy wanted to place just as much blame on Gajeel as she did on herself. He had to be playing with her emotions, there wasn't any other explanation for how he could possibly be two totally different people. Lucy knew what she had witnessed while it was just her and Gajeel, knew that the things she had told him about herself were completely honest and heartfelt. She had never tried to hide anything from him—with the exception of her upbringing—but she also knew that if he'd asked her about it, she would have come clean about all of it. Lucy had opened herself up to Gajeel in a way that she had never allowed with anyone else, even though they were just in a physical relationship. How could he possibly be telling her the truth when he was sweet with her and merciless when it came to anyone else? It just didn't make sense, and all she could figure out was that it must have been a lie.

"No, now," Gajeel said slowly, raising his eyebrows, "When did I lie?"

"I'm not doing this here, Gajeel."

"Bunny Girl," Gajeel growled, "If you want to keep those pretty little arms attached to your fucking body, you'll answer the goddamn question. Don't call me a liar and then try and get out of it. When did I lie to you?"

"Every time you were nice to me," Lucy answered with a defeated sigh, lowering her head and shaking it sadly, "You only did it to get something out of me." She felt Ryos stiffen and actually heard a low growl coming from the boy, but Lucy only gave a short humorless laugh while she looked up at Gajeel's hardened face. "I should have known, and that's my fault… But you—"

"Really?" Gajeel asked incredulously. "You seriously think that?"

Lucy gave him a pointed look, then slowly nodded as if Gajeel was an idiot.

"So, that night you came back to the cave," Gajeel said, his voice frighteningly soft and totally at odds with the hardened lines of his face while he scowled at Lucy, "What was I trying to get out of you then?"

"I said we'll talk about it later," Lucy answered weakly, lowering her head again and letting go of Ryos to mindlessly fiddle with a stray thread on the blanket.

"No," Gajeel nearly shouted, shaking his head and stalking around the side of the bed to tower over her. When he continued, he forced himself to keep his voice quiet enough so that it wouldn't be heard through the door to the infirmary if anyone was listening in. "You're telling me that I was only nice so I could use you, so what was my angle that night? You were covered in blood from the three guys you killed—"

"Two," Lucy interjected softly.

"What?" Gajeel asked, momentarily distracted from his ranting.

"I only killed two of them," Lucy said, "I gouged out the third guy's eyes, stabbed his dick, then sliced his ankles open so he couldn't walk. I let him go."

"Fine," Gajeel continued, "The _two_ guys you killed with no magic and practically killed a third. When you came back, you had practically nothing on because they tore it off of you while they tried to rape you! So you tell me what I wanted out of you when I cleaned and bandaged you up, then held you and let you cry on my fucking shoulder for as long as you needed me to. Go on, fucking tell me how I was using it to my advantage."

Ryos' eyes went what would have been considered comically wide if it weren't for what Gajeel had just said. Not only had the older Slayer openly admitted that something so horrible had happened to Lucy while they were away on that mission, but he even admitted just what he'd done to help her. _He's nice to her? He helped her?_

"Better yet," Gajeel said before Lucy could answer him, "Every time you've had a nightmare about that night—where you don't get away and you can't fight back, where they get to finish what they started—where was I? Right fucking there. Before we did anything whatsoever, and when I was willing to leave you the hell alone about the fact that you fucking kissed me and didn't want just a random fuck, I let you sleep next to me. I held you every fucking time, Bunny. At first, it was to get you to shut the hell up, but later on? You told me it helped keep the nightmares away, and I _wanted_ to help you. I didn't want you to be afraid, or to see you crying your eyes out every time you heard a noise in the woods at night. What was I trying to get out of you then?" When Lucy didn't say anything, just kept her eyes locked on her hands in her lap, Gajeel sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I told you before: me acting like that isn't gonna happen often. It happens more often with you than I'd care to admit, but you know it's true. I don't do it to try and get shit from you, I do it because I fucking _want_ to."

"Why?" Lucy asked softly, her voice hardly more than a breath.

"Because of what I told you in the rain," Gajeel answered softly. When he saw Lucy stiffen, her body going completely rigid from what he'd just said, Gajeel added, "I've never lied to you, with the exception of denying that you've got a hot body before we left on our mission. If there's something I can't tell you for any reason, I let you know just that. Everything I said that day was completely true, regardless of how much I'd rather keep that shit to myself. It wasn't some bullshit that popped out because we were high off our asses, it's what I really think—what I try to keep to myself because it's easier to keep it hidden than let anyone find out about it. I can tell you that I have no fucking clue what it means, but I'd rather not discuss _that_ right now. I'm serious though… I told you the truth." When Lucy's head slowly raised and she stared at him with wide and unbelieving eyes, he smirked at her and said, "Always always, right Bunny?"

Lucy smiled tremulously up at Gajeel, seeing his eyes soften marginally while he looked back at her. It wasn't imagined like she'd thought, he was just a confusing puzzle that she'd yet to solve. This was one of the few times that she was seeing Gajeel in that light that painted him as a good person on the inside. While his words sounded heartfelt and they were everything she needed to hear, it wasn't that he was saying them to her that made her believe he was being honest. No, it was the fact that Ryos was sitting right next to her, hearing Gajeel pour his heart out in a way that was uniquely his: harsh and filled with a whole slew of curses, but oddly endearing. Someone else was witnessing this side of Gajeel that she'd worried was a figment of her imagination. She wasn't alone in seeing the goodness inside of him, and that was what made Lucy feel like she could really trust what he was saying to her. "Yeah, Gajeel," she whispered, "Always always."

"Good," Gajeel grunted, clearing his throat and ignoring the way his body had reacted to hearing her confirm what he'd asked—how his heart started pounding, his throat went dry, and the way his brain decided to stutter a little bit—before looking over at the utterly silent boy that was doing everything he could to disappear from view during what had become an intensely private conversation. "Brat," he said gruffly.

Ryos flinched when he realized that Gajeel knew he was still there, wishing that he had just ignored his injuries and used his magic to get out of the room while the older pair were talking. He slowly turned his head and looked up at the scowling Slayer, staying completely silent.

Gajeel narrowed his eyes at the boy while he took in his appearance. Disheveled hair, far too thin, scared out of his mind, and red eyes that were too similar to his own for his liking. Then there were the injuries: a splint on his nose, swollen and bruised cheeks and jaw, bandaged forehead, and more that Gajeel knew he couldn't see with the kid's shirt in the way. "How badly did I fuck you up earlier?"

"U-Um…" Ryos mumbled, lowering his head in shame that he couldn't even bring himself to speak to the man he'd looked up to ever since he'd read about him in a magazine.

Lucy sighed and moved to cross her legs, then patted the bed while she looked up at Gajeel. "Sit down and talk. You're scaring him again," she said while she reached over to the table and picked up their nearly forgotten lunch. She handed Ryos his food and whispered that he should eat while she rubbed soft circles on his back.

Gajeel frowned and shook his head as he sat down at the foot of the bed. "How bad?" he asked Lucy when Ryos took the first small bite of his sandwich.

"Broken nose and ribs. Sprained ankle. A few cuts and scrapes, and too many bruises," Lucy answered, forcing herself to take a bite of her own sandwich. "His face is just swollen mostly, you didn't get a chance to break anything else."

"I-It's fine," Ryos muttered between bites. "I—"

"No," Lucy said softly, her eyebrows pushing together in concern, "It's not fine for him to beat the shit out of you because you want help."

"Wait, what?" Gajeel asked. "Help? The fuck are you talking about?" He looked from Lucy to Ryos and back, hoping someone would enlighten him.

"I…" Ryos said, sighing when Lucy pulled him closer to lay his head on her shoulder. He glanced up at Gajeel and said, "I wanted to ask if you'd train me… It's the same thing I ask you every time."

"Since when?" Gajeel asked.

Lucy groaned and rolled her eyes. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Since I joined the guild almost a year ago."

"You do know why you're not supposed to talk to me while I'm eating right?" Gajeel asked, realizing that every time the boy had spoken to him, he'd been at his table.

"Because you beat people willy-nilly for bothering you," Lucy said.

"Noooo," Gajeel drawled, "It's because I can't fucking hear you while I'm eating. How loud is it when you hear metal getting crushed when I'm here?"

"I can hear it as soon as I open the door from Master's office," Lucy answered with a frown.

"Right," Gajeel said, "And if it's loud as hell from up there, how loud do you think it is when it's happening _in my fucking mouth_? My hearing's more sensitive than yours already, Bunny Girl." He paused and looked at Ryos, then asked, "How loud is it when you're standing by the table?"

"Deafening," Ryos answered with a wince.

"Exactly. If it's that bad for you with Slayer hearing, it's worse when it's literally in your head. When I can't hear what you're saying, I get pissed. When I get pissed, I hit things." He paused and shook his head at the pair and sighed. "Bunny Girl's the only one I can hear over it, but that's because she's a fucking loudmouth."

Ryos smiled and bit his lower lip, trying to stifle the small chuckle that wanted to bubble out of him over what Gajeel had said. With a single glance at Gajeel, Ryos was able to see that the older Slayer had done it on purpose when their eyes met; there was a mischievous grin on Gajeel's face and amusement dancing in his eyes that Ryos never thought possible.

"I'm am _not_ a loudmouth!" Lucy shouted.

"Bunny, you do realize you're sitting with two Slayers, right?" Gajeel asked, raising his eyebrow in question. When she nodded, he smirked and said, "Well, we'll always think you're loud as hell since we can hear better than everyone else. Then again, everyone else thinks you're pretty damn loud too."

Lucy scowled at Gajeel, then kicked one leg out to try and hit him. His hand shot out and grabbed her ankle and he looked pointedly at her before shaking his head and rubbing slow circles over it with his thumb. Lucy sighed and stretched her other leg out, then leaned back against the headboard while she asked, "So, Gajeel. What did you want to talk to Ryos about?"

Gajeel scowled at the dainty ankle in his hand, though he didn't stop running his thumb over the wonderfully smooth skin of the woman it belonged to. He'd waited an entire week to feel her, to smell her, just to see her and know that she wasn't hurt. The past week had been absolute torture for Gajeel, knowing that there was a place he could go that would allow him to take in that sweet scent of hers—except he wasn't willing to break into her apartment if she wasn't there as well. One week of nothing but dreaming about the blonde woman, and not even just the ones where he was nestled deep inside of her and watching her writhe. No, he'd just _had_ to dream about lying in bed with her, the night she gave him that book, what her smile looked like and the way her laugh sounded. Gajeel's thoughts over the past week were plagued with Lucy, and it was driving him insane. _She_ was the real reason he'd come back to the guild to talk with Ryos. Gajeel would have been fine talking to the kid another time, but he wanted to see Lucy. After a week without her being around, less than an hour in her presence just didn't cut it for Gajeel. "What happened to him, brat?" he asked gruffly.

"Who?" Ryos asked.

Lucy sighed and said, "Your dragon."

Ryos' head dropped in defeat. He didn't want anyone to know that he'd been forced to kill his father, even though Skiadrum had been sick and told him to do it. "He's dead," he answered softly. "He got sick and he died."

"When?" Gajeel asked.

"Seven years ago. In the summer."

Gajeel shifted in place, sitting cross-legged while he turned to face Lucy and Ryos. He frowned and stared down at Lucy's feet while his hands absently massaged them. Instead of questioning why he was doing it, Gajeel instantly reasoned that it was because he preferred having something to do with his hands while he was thinking. "How old were you?" he asked.

"Five."

"How long were you with him?"

"He found me when I was a baby," Ryos answered sadly. "He said I was crying in the middle of the woods, and when he found out where the noise was coming from… My family was murdered, and I was laying under my mom. He didn't tell me a lot about it, and said I was too young for him to tell me everything. Skiadrum's the only family I've ever had as far as I'm concerned."

"How much did he teach you?"

"Everything he could," Ryos said.

"About your magic," Gajeel clarified. "How much?"

Ryos tilted his head to the side while he looked at Gajeel. The man was quite literally giving Lucy a foot massage and still managed to look the scariest man he'd ever met. Gajeel seemed to be deep in thought about something, and apparently Ryos' answers weren't exactly what he wanted to hear. "He started teaching it to me when I was three or so, history and all of that. I barely survived the transfer when he gave it to me on my fourth birthday, but he must have known he didn't have much time."

"Transfer?" Lucy asked.

Gajeel and Ryos nodded, but it was Gajeel that spoke. "Yeah, Dragon Slaying Magic is a little different. Dragons transfer a portion of their own magic into a human, then teach them how to control what they've been given. That's why we get pointed teeth, and all the other stuff I've already told you about—the transfer gives us their magic, but also other traits of theirs."

Lucy nodded, then stayed silent while they continued their conversation.

"I need to know what he taught you, brat," Gajeel said, turning his attention back to Ryos. "Attacks, senses, instincts… everything."

"He told me about the attacks I would learn eventually, but I only know how to roar. I can fade into shadows and move around like that. My senses are fine, I guess." He paused and shrugged, then glanced at Lucy before looking back at Gajeel. "I can't really smell much right now, and it took a while for me to realize Lucy was crying."

Gajeel nodded and watched Lucy smile softly and wrap a protective arm around Ryos, pulling him closer to lay his head on her shoulder again. "What about your instincts?" he asked carefully.

"… He taught me about that," Ryos answered, discreetly scratching at his neck and giving Gajeel a knowing look. "I learned about it while I was still recovering from the transfer."

Gajeel nodded and switched to Lucy's other foot. "You wanted me to train you?" he asked.

Ryos felt Lucy give him an encouraging squeeze around his shoulders, then quietly said, "More than anything."

"Why?"

"Um…" Ryos mumbled, sighing when Lucy's fingers started sifting through his hair.

"It's okay, Ryos," she said softly, "You can tell him."

"I've looked up to you since I read about you in a magazine," Ryos said sheepishly. "You're what a Dragon Slayer is supposed to be, and I never learned everything I needed to. You're strong, fearless, and powerful—like I _should_ be. Skiadrum told me that I would need to find another Slayer to help me since he didn't have more time, and when I found out about you I made my way here to join the guild."

Gajeel nodded again and sat in silence while he thought over what Ryos had told him. Honestly, he was planning on talking to the kid and telling him to stay away from Lucy. Even earlier when he'd fought with her, Gajeel had seen the way she cared for the boy with sweet smiles and gentle hugs; but, he'd also noticed that Ryos seemed to pick up on Gajeel not liking him so close to the blonde and tried to keep his distance. If it hadn't been for the kid being scared out of his mind, he probably wouldn't have ended up crying and holding onto her for dear life like he had. _"This is your fault."_ Lucy's words that had echoed over the boy's sobs earlier filtered back into Gajeel's head, and damn if he didn't feel like a total shitbag for not hearing the kid out before. Gajeel hadn't put much thought into the fact that he'd been beating up a kid, because Ryos was a member of their guild and he knew the rules. Normally, Gajeel wouldn't have stooped as low as hitting someone so young, but his instincts were telling him that Ryos needed to be stronger if he was going to survive in this world—and the only way to get stronger in Gajeel's eyes was to take a beating and learn from it. "Two things," Gajeel finally said. "One, I'll train you starting in a couple weeks. Master's sending me on a mission soon, so after I'm back for a couple days to relax we'll get started."

"Really?" Ryos asked hopefully, his eyes going wide as saucers, and a blush crossing his cheeks when Lucy giggled and kissed the top of his head again.

"Don't get too excited," Lucy interjected with a smirk. "Gajeel doesn't know the meaning of 'going easy' on you. Be ready to get your ass handed to you again and again until you figure out how to fight back."

Gajeel nodded shortly and continued. "It'll be harder on you because I'm gonna have to teach you about your magic along with everything I taught Bunny Girl. She had a strong base for me to build up on, so it wasn't too hard for her to adapt. You on the other hand are starting from scratch as far as I'm concerned." When Ryos nodded, watching Gajeel intently and hanging on his every word, Gajeel smirked at him. "Two… I'm not one for apologizing, you can ask Bunny Girl. I'll admit that I was a raging asshole, but that's as much as you'll get out of me. So, next time you plan on bothering me while I'm eating, stand there and wait until I'm not chewing and you won't get your ass kicked."

Ryos grinned and nodded happily. "I can do that."

"Why are you suddenly willing to train him?" Lucy asked cautiously, tilting her head to the side and narrowing her eyes at Gajeel.

Gajeel sighed and set one hand on each of Lucy's ankles, rubbing slow circles over them with the pads of his thumbs. He looked from Lucy to Ryos and back, then turned to Ryos and said, "You tell no one about what you know, got it?"

"About you two?" Ryos asked.

"Exactly. Anyone finds out, and they'll use it against one of us," Gajeel growled. "Then I'll have to come kick your ass for blabbing."

Lucy frowned and kicked Gajeel. "What did I say about being a bitch baby?"

Gajeel rolled his eyes at her then turned and looked expectantly at Ryos. When the boy nodded quickly, Gajeel said, "I agreed to it for a couple reasons. He needs training, and he's a Slayer—extenuating circumstances make me feel a little more compassionate since his dragon's dead." He watched understanding light up Lucy's eyes, and he nodded. She understood that Gajeel was feeling just a little bit obligated to help Ryos since they had both lost their dragons, and while he didn't know if Metallicana was actually dead, Gajeel at least had _hope_ that he'd get to see that big iron bastard again. Ryos didn't have a chance to see his own parent ever again.

"And another reason?" Lucy asked.

Gajeel smirked at her and said, "He's your friend."

"… So?" Lucy asked slowly, not understanding where Gajeel was going with his train of thought.

"How would you feel if I trained him, Bunny?" Gajeel asked.

"Happy," Lucy answered instantly.

"What did I tell you in the rain?"

Lucy froze, her eyes going wide as she remembered part of their conversation that day.

"_You're a dick sometimes—well, most times—but you're also a sweetheart when you wanna be," Lucy whispered. "Even when you hurt me, I know you're just trying to take care of me."_

_ "You know why, right?" Gajeel asked. When Lucy shook her head no, he said, "Because you're my little Bunny. I've gotta make you happy!"_

Twice in a single day, Gajeel had mentioned what happened that day. And before she had left on her mission, he'd even called her that little pet name again. She didn't know if it meant that he was trying to tell her there was something more than just a physical attraction on his side, and Lucy didn't _want_ to assume anything otherwise she might make a fool out of herself. Hell, he'd even told her he hadn't a clue what any of what he'd said to her that day really meant, but it was enough for her to see that he saw her as at least a little more than some hole to fuck. Everything on her side was confusing as hell, and she couldn't even begin to piece together whether or not there was more to it for her. Lucy did know that Gajeel was more to her than some random guy she was screwing, and had to admit that what she'd said to him that day was true as well—it was just everything that she wouldn't have normally let past her filters. Unless Gajeel openly said there was more to it for him, and that he wanted more than the weird unlabeled whatever-the-hell they were in, Lucy wouldn't even entertain the idea on her end. "So…" Lucy said slowly, an answering soft smile on her face, "Because it'll make me happy?"

"Pretty much," Gajeel answered with an indifferent shrug. "Consider it repayment for watching Draco's fight."

Lucy giggled and rolled her eyes at him, then leaned down to Ryos and loudly whispered, "See? He's not so scary."

"Oi," Gajeel warned, "Watch it, Bunny. I'll still rip your arms off."

"Not if I put your dick in a meat grinder first," Lucy shot back.

"Speaking of dicks," Gajeel said as he paled at the mental image, "Where the fuck are you planning on getting a whole bag of them?"

"Bloody and pus-filled?" Lucy asked sweetly. When Gajeel slowly nodded, she winked and said, "You don't want to know, Gajeel." The two mages with her visibly shuddered, and Lucy couldn't help but laugh at the matching expressions on their faces. "Don't worry, Ryos. You're safe from my wrath until you're _at least_ a teenager."

Ryos sweatdropped and said, "That doesn't make me feel much better…"

Gajeel snickered at him and said, "It shouldn't."

* * *

><p>Lucy sighed while she walked into her apartment, looking around to see that it was still completely disheveled from a week prior when she'd left in a hurry. In all honesty, it wasn't too bad, since she didn't have much in the way of belongings aside from her closet, but the sight of her unmade bed had Lucy rolling her eyes that it wasn't handled and blushing when she remembered just <em>why<em> it was like that. Lucy heard the door close behind her as she made her way over to her desk and started picking up the papers that had been knocked to the floor. Two strong hands wrapped around her bare waist, gliding lightly over her stomach, and Lucy smiled when she looked down to see those familiar fingerless gloves and the piercings jutting from muscular forearms. "I need to clean up, Gajeel," she said, "Then you and I should get to work on the information you'll need for your mission."

Gajeel chuckled and pushed Lucy's hair to the side with his nose, then started kissing and licking every bare inch of her upper back and shoulders, pausing at the fading scars from the bites he'd given her and paying special attention to them. "C'mon, Bunny," he rasped, pressing his arousal against her backside and slowly grinding into her. "You've been gone all week."

"And?" Lucy asked with a smirk while she tried to control her willingness to tear each other's clothes off. Gajeel deserved to suffer just a little bit for being an ass earlier in the day, and Lucy knew just how to do it.

"And, I'm horny as hell," Gajeel supplied, grinding a little more roughly against her and nipping at her neck. A wide grin spread across his face when she sucked in a sharp breath, a light moan spilling from her lips. Gajeel's hands moved to her hips and started pushing her body back against him, and he groaned when he pictured just how sweet it would be to be nestled deep in her slick sex.

"So am I, but that doesn't mean I'll just fuck you," Lucy shot back.

"Why not?" Gajeel asked, sliding one hand to the button of her shorts. "Besides, you wore black and red today. You remember the last time you wore that?"

Lucy giggled and pushed his hands away from her while she stepped out of reach. "At the bar, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"I nearly ripped your clothes off that night when I saw you, you know," Gajeel said earnestly, his voice becoming lower and huskier by the second while he pressed himself to her back again.

"So, me wearing black and red around you means I'm inviting you to fuck my brains out?" Lucy asked with a laugh.

"Pretty much," Gajeel answered, pushing the button through the hole and sliding her zipper down before carefully pushing the barely-there shorts down her slender legs. When he ground against her again, Gajeel groaned and nestled his nose in her hair. "Come on, you know I'll make you feel good. Why are you teasing me?"

"Gajeel, did you miss me?" Lucy taunted.

"…"

She giggled and rolled her eyes, then weaseled her way out of his grasp and moved closer to the bed to start fixing the blankets. "I guess if you didn't miss me then there's no reason for us to fuck," she said, bending over and arching her back slightly to give him the perfect view of her bare backside and the bright red slip of lace that traveled between her cheeks and over her sex.

Gajeel watched, enraptured by the sight of her bending over her bed and her ass shaking just slightly while she adjusted the covers. "Fuck, you look good enough to eat," he said as he stalked over to her.

Lucy gasped when Gajeel pressed into her again and pinned her hands to the bed. "Say you missed me," she said breathily. "Admit it, Gajeel."

Gajeel growled in her ear, smirking when she whimpered and her ass started grinding against him without his insistence. "You first. Miss me, Bunny?" he groaned before his tongue darted out to lick a searing path down the column of her throat.

"Yes," Lucy whispered.

"Did you miss me fucking you?" he asked, scraping his teeth along her bare shoulder and sliding down her spine.

"Yes. Everything," she answered. "Tell me, Gajeel."

Gajeel grinned, sliding his fingers under the flimsy panties and carefully pulling them down and off of her while he knelt on the floor. "Of course I missed you, little Bunny," he whispered back, pushing her legs further apart and licking his lips when he saw her spread out in front of him. "I missed everything."

"How I smell?" Lucy asked, her voice filled with desire. She gasped when Gajeel's nose travelled lightly from the back of her knee up her thigh, then skipped over her glistening sex to her other thigh and moved back down.

"Definitely," Gajeel said, kissing his way up each thigh and waiting for her to say something else.

"Kissing me?"

Gajeel grinned and kissed a little closer to the apex of her thighs. "Always."

"Touching me?"

His hands grasped her ankles, then moved up her legs. Gajeel drew large circles over each rounded cheek before his hands glided up to the small of her back. Once he started moving back down, he grinned deviously and firmly grasped her thighs, kneading the soft and femininely muscular flesh. "Fuck yes."

"What about tasting me, Gajeel?" Lucy asked. "Did you miss that?" Her body was burning up from the inside, and the way Gajeel had been teasing her and letting her control his actions at the same time had Lucy more wound up than ever. She felt ready to burst, and when she heard Gajeel growl from behind her, Lucy moaned softly and bit her lip in anticipation of what he would do.

"You have no idea, Bunny," Gajeel answered with a wide, salacious grin as he licked his lips. "Can I have a taste?" he asked as he leaned closer, taking in just how sweet the scent of her arousal was as it filled his nostrils, and his breath dancing across her sex.

"Please," Lucy whimpered, gasping when Gajeel's lips brushed over her glistening folds, his tongue darting out to flatten over her curls and dragging slowly between her lips. She cried out and tightly grasped at the sheets when she finally felt Gajeel's tongue circling her entrance, barely breaching her with the tip before retreating.

"So sensitive now," Gajeel chuckled. His hands slid up her thighs and he used his thumbs to spread her open before him, and while he drank in the sight of her so willingly letting him touch her as he wished, he asked, "Did you save it all for me?"

Lucy moaned, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks, then nodded. "I can't do it like you can," she said huskily.

Gajeel smirked and pressed his lips lightly to her core, letting his tongue snake out and spear into her only once before pulling back. "You taste better than ever, Bunny." He dove in, unable to hold himself back any longer, and groaned when her taste burst across his tongue while she cried out again. Gajeel's arms hooked under her body and wrapped around her hips while he feasted on her, dragging his teeth and tongue over every inch of her before roughly plunging his tongue into her depths. He growled long and low in answer to her heightening moans, then slid a hand up her back and forced her chest down onto the mattress.

With Lucy's ass pushed higher into the air, and how greedily Gajeel's mouth was moving over her, there was no way she would last much longer. "Gajeel!" she moaned, her legs beginning to quake while she barreled towards her climax, "M-More…"

Gajeel pulled back and grinned deviously, licking her arousal from his lips. "How much more, Bunny?" he asked, nipping at her quivering thighs while she whimpered and writhed.

"Please," Lucy begged, feeling utterly bereft with the loss of his mouth on her. "Please, Gajeel."

"Will you let me try something?" he asked softly as he pulled away completely and rolled her over onto her back. Gajeel kissed his way up her stomach, then carefully pulled her shirt up and over her head, throwing it off into the room and sending her bra and his own shirt right along with it.

"What do you want to try?" Lucy asked, her hips writhing to try and find something that could bring her the release he'd neglected to give her.

"You've gotta trust me," Gajeel said with a smirk, circling his tongue around one nipple and moaning as he felt it pebble at his attention. "Do you trust me, little Bunny?" he rasped.

Lucy moaned and arched her back, pushing her chest fully into Gajeel's face while her hands tangled in his hair. "Yes," she said, her voice undeniably needy, "What do you want to try?"

Gajeel chuckled, catching her nipple between his teeth with his eyes locked on hers. He slowly pulled his head away and watched Lucy's eyes roll back while a long moan ripped from her once he let go. "I want to show you something." He ran his nose along the valley between her breasts and up along the pulsing vein in her neck to nibble lightly on her ear. Gajeel lightly slid his hands down her slender arms, lacing his fingers with hers and slowly moved them up until they were pinned above her head. "Do you remember when I told you about my magic?" he asked, letting his lips brush over her cheek and grinning when she moaned and shivered.

"Yeah."

Gajeel cupped his hands over Lucy's while he brought his lips down onto hers, gently kissing her while he started channeling his magic into his hands. Once he was done, he felt Lucy stiffen and wrap her fingers around what he'd made, and Gajeel pulled back to give her a wolfish grin while she pulled her hands down to stare wide-eyed at the piece of iron there.

Lucy looked from what was in her hands to Gajeel and back, her body instantly responding with a quiver of anticipation. "What… You… Huh?" she spluttered, a deep blush covering her cheeks. She nervously nibbled on her lower lip while she lightly ran a finger over the piece of iron, feeling every dip between the ridges of it as she traveled from one end to the other, then lightly circling the rounded ends before moving back across it. She instantly noted how heavy it was, then again it was iron so that was to be expected, but what caught her by surprise was just how close Gajeel had made its size to what she knew he had hidden away in his pants. Seeing it like this sent a flood of heat pooling in her belly, and Lucy could feel her arousal already starting to coat her folds in preparation for what she knew was coming. She knew exactly what he had made it for, but Lucy wondered why he would want to do something like this when he'd been ready and raring to fuck her brains out as soon as they walked into her apartment.

Gajeel lowered his head again and carefully pried her lip from between her teeth, sucking it into his own mouth with a soft moan. "If you don't like it, we'll stop," he whispered against her lips, gently taking her hand and slowly sliding it between their bodies until the piece of iron was gliding over her sex. "Okay?"

Lucy whimpered into the kiss when Gajeel's tongue delved into her mouth, successfully distracting her from the way he was guiding her hand and that iron rod he'd made over her glistening core. He eased her into relaxation, never moving too quickly, and Lucy wrapped her free arm around his neck and tangled her hand in his hair. Each pass of the iron over her had Lucy arching her body, feeling each ridge slide effortlessly against her clit and between her lower lips. She gasped when Gajeel's legs spread hers wider than before, his hand angling hers so her entrance was prodded and circled. "Okay," she moaned against his mouth, gasping when he growled approvingly and slowly invaded her with what he'd made.

Gajeel carefully guided her hand back and forth, pushing the piece of iron further and further into her with each stroke until it was seated firmly in her sex. "That's it," he rasped, sliding both hands along her hips and up to tease her breasts by running his thumbs over her pert nipples. "I wanna see what you like." When Lucy hesitated, Gajeel lightly nipped at her lips with his teeth, then roughly pinched her nipples between his fingers with a moan spilling from him. "Show me just how you like it, Bunny."

Lucy moaned as she picked up the slow and careful pace Gajeel had started her out on. It wasn't her first time pleasuring herself, but it was the first time she'd used anything more than her own fingers, and definitely the first time she'd had someone with her while she did it. Lucy honestly felt a little self-conscious about the whole thing, but Gajeel was nothing less than attentive to her every sensitive spot while she worked the metal between her legs. When his lips left hers, Lucy moaned again while she stared into his gleaming ruby eyes that were swimming with excitement and arousal, and started moving just a little faster. Her climax began building back up, slowly but much more intensely than before, and Lucy's eyes stayed locked onto his while Gajeel grinned and lowered his head to her chest again. His lips wrapped around her pebbled peak and he lightly sucked and nibbled at it, hovering over her so she still had room to move. It was definitely an entirely new sensation, a whole series of them if she was being honest with herself: the hardness of the metal, the warmth it had radiated from being newly made, how each ridge along its length was vaguely reminiscent of the piercings that ran through Gajeel's shaft that teased all the right places inside of her, and how thrilling it was to have him with her while she was doing something like this. "Oh, Gajeel," Lucy moaned loudly, tentatively rolling her hips and gasping at how the iron pushed roughly against her walls with its unyielding sturdiness. She tried again and cried out when warmth shot through her entire body, the coil inside winding just a little faster.

Gajeel growled his approval again and again with each moan and curse Lucy let out, and kissed a searing path down her stomach before hovering over her golden curls, watching as that piece of his magic started moving faster and faster as she brought herself to her end. Just the sight of her slender fingers gripping that metal so tightly, how her wrist rotated slightly every time she withdrew it, had Gajeel harder than ever and on the verge of forgetting all about his desire to see this and ravaging her with his own cock for hours on end. "Fuck," he rasped, lowering his head and roughly sucking her sensitive pearl into his mouth. Lucy's back arched as she cried out his name, and she surprised Gajeel when she pulled his hand from her breast and placed it on the iron between her legs.

"Do it, Gajeel," Lucy rasped, wrapping her hand around his while he held onto the iron rod. "Fuck me with your metal."

He groaned against her sex and started a relentless pace, alternating swirls and flicks of his tongue over her with rough thrusts into her core that had Lucy screaming in seconds. The way her demand had come out of her—harsh, breathless, dripping with desire—made it so that Gajeel was more than willing to please her every whim. His inner dragon growled in delight, a wide grin on its face, and started repeating what she'd said, emphasizing how she wanted _his_ metal. It wasn't the fact that she wanted him to get her off, it was that she wanted him to use an extension of himself to do it. _Fucking hell,_ he thought absently, _I never thought this would be so hot._

"Shit," Lucy cried out, her eyes wide and wild as her limbs started to tense up from her fingers and toes, slowly moving towards her center. "Just like that, Gajeel. Oh, fuck…"

Gajeel growled against her again, feeling himself losing the battle to keep a tight leash on his wilder side so he didn't hurt her like this. He knew that his iron was completely different from what she was used to, hard and solid with no give whatsoever, and the last thing he wanted was for Lucy to be in pain because he lost control. His teeth and tongue dragged over her clit, starting to move frantically when her hands tangled in his hair and held him tightly to her body. Gajeel's eyes raked over her body—the swell of her hips, her deliciously small waist, her full breasts bouncing in time with each plunge of the metal into her soaking depths—and finally landed on Lucy's flushed face that was the picture of erotic pleasure. Her heaving breaths, the sound of his metal roughly pounding into her slick folds, and her cries of pure unadulterated pleasure had Gajeel's body heating up in ways he'd never known possible without being nestled in the tight, velvety passage of the woman on the bed. He snarled wildly, the last shreds of his control barely within his grasp, when her grip on his hair tightened and she ripped him from her core to crash his lips to hers.

Lucy's cries were lost in the heated kiss with Gajeel while his tongue swirled around hers, the taste of her arousal so potent it made her lightheaded. The warmth and tension in her limbs had finally reached her center, and he seemed to know it when he growled and started plunging the metal rod faster and harder. Gajeel was just close enough that his chest brushed against her pert nipples with each of her heaving breaths, and when Lucy's hands moved down to his shoulders, she couldn't help but appreciate how his muscles rippled with every move he made.

Gajeel pulled away to stare deeply into her eyes, wanting to see her just as she fell over the edge. With a wicked grin, he asked, "Do you like it, Bunny?"

Lucy nodded quickly, her body tensing and ready to crest that peak at any second as the coil inside of her kept winding.

"Tell me," Gajeel groaned, pulling the iron completely out of her before ramming it back in over and over. "How much do you like my metal inside of you?"

"Fuck!" Lucy cried out, her eyes rolling back as he left her completely empty only to fill her to the brim in a rough stroke. Lucy held her body in place, even though she wanted nothing more than to roll her hips wantonly and grind against that thick metal rod, and was lost in the sensation of how tightly her core was gripping each ridge that rubbed swiftly over her. "I… I love it, Gajeel."

"What do you love, Bunny?" he asked, his voice lower and nearly feral. He pushed the iron back in and held it as deeply as possible for only a moment, then started twisting it slightly. He reveled in the gasp and curses she let out when he started a series of short quick strokes deep within her, still twisting and turning the iron to brush over different sensitive areas in her clenching sex.

"I… Oh god…" Lucy panted, her nails digging into his back enough to break the skin and cause his growl to rumble through her body. "I… love… your metal."

Gajeel's inner dragon roared in some unknown triumph when he heard those words. "Good, Bunny," he rasped, his teeth dragging across her jaw roughly. He picked up the relentless pace once more, groaning in time with her pants and moans as he pushed to her new heights before she found her release. "Now show me how much you love it." When her body tensed up and her breath stalled, he growled and pulled back to watch her while he thrust the iron back into her as deeply as she could handle, holding it in place and circling her clit with his thumb to finally throw her over the edge.

Lucy's eyes went wide while she kept her gaze locked with Gajeel's, her back arching, and her sex tightening painfully around the metal nestled deep within her as she shot up into the heavens once his thumb brushed over her. Her nails dragged down Gajeel's back, tearing into him while she screamed his name, and her whole body was wracked with earth-shattering spasms. She knew she'd never been this loud before, but with how hard that piece of metal was and how the calloused pad of Gajeel's finger kept circling over her, there was no way for her body to stop the climax from drawing out longer than usual while it unsuccessfully tried to pull the iron further into her. By the time she floated back down, she could feel his body pressed against hers while he slowly stroked her quivering core with the metal rod. A violent shudder ran through her when Gajeel carefully pulled the metal from her, and Lucy clutched herself tightly to him as if she might float away when another long moan spilled from her lips.

While he would have loved nothing more than to see her reaction to him licking every bit of her arousal from that piece of metal, Gajeel unceremoniously dropped it off the side of the bed and wrapped his arms around the whimpering and quaking woman that was holding onto him with everything she was worth. He lowered his head to nestle his nose in the crook of her neck, taking in the decadent scent he'd missed so much while she was away that was mixed with her sweat, and growling happily when she mewled in pleasure. He never realized just how accustomed he'd grown to how relaxing Lucy's scent was until he didn't have it surrounding him constantly. He'd considered dropping his pants and slamming himself into her while she was still recovering from her orgasm so he could finally relieve the ache that had plagued him for a week, but now he was perfectly content to just feel Lucy's shaking body wrapped in his embrace and breathe in nothing but sugar-and-almonds. Every brush of Lucy's body against his—her breasts, arms, thighs, even her nose along his shoulder—had her softly moaning while she tried to catch her breath. "Holy hell, Bunny," he whispered with a soft smile, carefully brushing his fingers through her hair, "You have no idea how fucking beautiful you are."

Lucy's eyes started to water, her body betraying her entirely when she tried to hold them at bay and they freely trickled down her face. "Gajeel," she whispered happily, pulling back enough to press her trembling lips to his. She felt his hands move to gently cup her cheeks, his thumbs brushing over them to rid her of her tears. Renewed and invigorating warmth spread slowly through her, starting in her chest and cascading through every fiber of her being while she kissed him. She had been called beautiful before by other men, but something about it coming from this man in particular made it feel even more special. Maybe it was the soft tone of his voice, how she could hear the sincerity of it in every word. Most likely, it was the fact that even while saying something perfect and sweet in such a tender moment, Gajeel was still cursing just like he always did.

Gajeel pulled back slowly and saw her shining eyes, then smiled softly down at Lucy while he ran his nose along hers. "Don't cry, Bunny," he whispered. "I hate seeing you cry."

Lucy brought a shaking hand to his cheek, smiling up at the softened red eyes that seemed to see right into her soul. "Happy tears, you silly Dragon," she whispered back. "That's the first time you've intentionally called me that…" It was true, the only time she'd heard him say something about her looks that wasn't about her being sexy, or hot, or edible was in the rain when neither of them could keep their thoughts to themselves. Ever since then, Gajeel never said it and Lucy had wondered if it was just a momentary and fleeting thought.

"What, beautiful?" Gajeel asked. When Lucy nodded, he felt his cheeks heating up in a deep blush, then leaned down to press another tender kiss to her swollen lips. "You are. I didn't see it until we were behind that waterfall, but I haven't been able to see anything else since."

Lucy sniffled and laughed lightly, then wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. She wanted to feel all of him pressed against her, and when Lucy realized Gajeel's pants were still in the way, she pulled back with a small pout.

Gajeel chuckled and raised an eyebrow at her in question. "What's wrong?"

"Your pants," Lucy said, "They're ruining my fun."

"If I take my pants off now, I'm not gonna be able to keep my dick to myself," Gajeel said with a smirk.

"Exactly," Lucy said with a sultry smile, "Ruining my fun." When Gajeel laughed and pulled back so he could remove the last of his clothing, Lucy smirked and said, "I want _your_ iron rod, Gajeel."

Raising an intrigued eyebrow, Gajeel threw his clothes off into the room and sank down between her still spread legs. He propped himself up on one elbow and laced the fingers of his other hands with hers before pressing her knuckles to his lips. When he heard Lucy giggle, Gajeel peeked up at her from beneath his lashes and saw her lightly nibbling on her lip while she smiled down at him. "I don't know," he teased softly, moving so his lips hovered over hers, "You think you're ready for me?"

Lucy closed the distance between them and captured him in a tender kiss while Gajeel slowly coated himself in her arousal. "I'm always ready for my Dragon," she answered huskily, moaning when his lips pressed to hers more insistently and his tongue slid against hers in a battle that had her moaning again. Lucy gasped when his flared head started prodding her entrance, and she pulled back just enough to ask, "Will you give me what I want?"

"Any time you want it," he groaned as he finally pushed into her sex, his breath pushing out of him quickly when she tightened around him for a moment.

Lucy nibbled on her lower lip, carefully rolling her hips when they were fully joined. "I think you should show me what your metal is really like some time," she said, smiling when his head dropped to her shoulder and he peppered her with soft kisses while he carefully pulled back.

"What do you mean?" he asked, keeping a slow pace regardless of how badly his body was screaming to force her into another climax right then. No matter what his body wanted, Gajeel refused to lose even a single moment or touch that he could have with Lucy. She'd been away from him for only a week, seven measly days, but he'd been on edge and restless the entire time. Now, all Gajeel wanted was to savor every bit of the beautiful woman in his arms, and to hear her say those words again. _"I'm always ready for my Dragon." _He never thought something as simple as that small possessive word would make his heart skip a beat like it had, but once Lucy started speaking again he couldn't even dwell on his body's reaction to it.

"I mean, you're _all_ metal with your scales on," Lucy said huskily. "I wanna know just how good you can make me feel like that."

Gajeel groaned and rocked his hips, his breath stuttering for a second when she rippled around him and moaned. "You sure?" he asked softly. _Who would have thought that she'd want to try something like that?,_ he thought incredulously. Lucy just kept surprising him with her willingness to see just how much she could handle and how much he could please her. Her curiosity about his magic was astounding, even more so since Gajeel had never met a woman that was so intrigued by his brand of crazy.

"Definitely," Lucy answered, sliding her free hand over his back and kneading her fingers into his muscles while they bunched and contracted with each careful thrust. "Not tonight, but some time."

Gajeel grinned and kissed her swollen lips again, then said, "You're seriously insane, Bunny."

Lucy rolled her hips and smirked when Gajeel moaned, then said, "Fine, but I'm _your_ insane Bunny."

"Keep talking like that, and I'll bite you again," Gajeel growled as fire flared in his veins. Lucy was healed enough by this point that it was safe for him to bite her without instantly losing control of his magic. If he had bitten her any sooner, then his instincts would have taken over and forced his magic into the bite. While half of him was perfectly fine with having a feisty, hot blonde that was as adventurous as he was in bed as his mate, the other half was violently recoiling from the thought of being mated at all. Besides, he hadn't even considered Lucy as a potential mate for himself, so she didn't know anything about what could happen if he didn't keep himself in control of the situation. One slip-up was all it would take for the two of them to be irrevocably tied to one another forever, and that wasn't something Gajeel wanted to chance. If he was going to settle down one day—which was something he seriously doubted would ever happen—then Gajeel would do it the right way by telling the woman what she was getting herself into, and then letting her decide for herself if she really wanted to be with him.

"Mmm, I hope that's a promise," Lucy moaned, then gasped when Gajeel angled his hips slightly and continued with his slow pace. "So, you like it when I talk like that?" she asked as she looked up at him, finally noticing how his wild black mane of hair was creating a perfect curtain around them.

Gajeel smirked down at her, getting lost in her eyes and never wanting to find his way out of them again. "Maybe I do," he answered, lightly squeezing the dainty hand that was intertwined with his much larger one and running his thumb over hers. He watched Lucy's eyes soften, and the emotion he hadn't been able to name at the waterfall crossed over her face again, settling in and taking his breath away.

* * *

><p>Gajeel leaned down and chuckled while he licked the fresh bite wound on Lucy's shoulder, already feeling that same strange high settling into his marrow and spreading through him like molasses. "Told you," he whispered when he pulled back up to look into her dazed face.<p>

"Told me what?" Lucy asked, sliding her hands all along his skin and feeling each of the scars on him raising up as if they were small mountain ranges.

"That I'd bite you again if you kept talking like that, little Bunny," Gajeel answered with a lazy grin. He shuddered when her hands carefully pushed his hair over his shoulder to reveal the bite she'd left on him, and instantly moved so she could reach it and quell the flowing blood. "Mmm," he moaned happily when her tongue dragged over his tender flesh, "Your tongue is the best thing ever."

Lucy giggled and licked a path up his throat to his lips, then lightly kissed him. "I think yours is better," she whispered, "Especially that piercing. Mm, mm, mm."

"I could give you one, Bunny," Gajeel said, "Anywhere you want."

"Will you give yourself a new one, too?" Lucy asked with a little smirk.

Gajeel frowned and slowly withdrew himself, pulling Lucy on top of him while he rolled onto his back. "I don't know where I could put another one," he answered.

Lucy sat up quickly with a wide grin. "I do!" she nearly shouted. "How about… I pick yours and you pick mine?"

"I don't know," Gajeel teased. When Lucy pouted at him, her lower lip trembling lightly and her eyes wide, Gajeel grinned and nodded. "Okay, you talked me into it!"

Lucy giggled, her fake pout instantly disappearing and giving way to a sweet smile. "I didn't say anything, though."

"Sure, you did," Gajeel answered while he lightly massaged her legs, "Your face told me."

Lucy's hands shot up and covered her face. "Nuh-uh!" she shouted through her hands, shaking her head roughly and falling off of Gajeel in the process. She squeaked as she tipped over to one side, clamping her eyes shut while she waited to hit the floor, and immediately felt a strong arm wrapping around her and pulling her close to his chest.

"Silly, Bunny," Gajeel laughed.

Lucy peeked one eye open and looked up into the bright smile on Gajeel's face, then dramatically said, "My hero! However can I repay you?"

Gajeel nuzzled Lucy's hair and kissed her temple. "I don't know. How about a kiss?"

Lucy pushed herself up and cupped Gajeel's cheeks while she brought her lips to his. She felt the strong bones in his jaw working while he deepened the kiss, and Lucy moaned softly when she felt the small iron piercing dragging across her lips. Gajeel's hands slid over her legs to her hips, and the light contact left Lucy breathless while her whole body lit up with goosebumps. Her tongue swooped lazily into his mouth, and yet again the contact of her tongue against his and the flavor their blood mixing together put Lucy into overdrive. She ground herself against him, her hands tangling roughly in his hair, and a guttural moan spilled from her.

Gajeel's hands mindlessly moved over her body, from her hips to her legs and up her back to gently cup her neck when she pulled away. He panted while he looked up into her hungry and dazed eyes, sucking his lower lip into his mouth to pull every bit of how she tasted from it. "I think your debt's been repaid," he finally whispered with a smirk.

Lucy nodded slowly, blinking repeatedly to clear her mind of the haze she'd gotten trapped in. "Yeah," she said with another nod.

"So, my little Bunny… A piercing?" Gajeel asked excitedly. When Lucy shook her head to clear away her thoughts (or lack thereof) and grinned at him, Gajeel quickly sat up with her still settled in his lap. "Do you want yours first?"

Lucy smirked and shook her head. "No, I wanna see yours first."

"Okay, where am I getting a new piercing?" Gajeel asked, biting his lower lip excitedly. He watched Lucy slowly slide backwards, her hands trailing down his chest until they rested over his hips.

"You said they _could_ be pierced," Lucy whispered. "Will you do it?"

"How many?"

Lucy tilted her head in thought, then held up three fingers. "Three each, like your arms."

Gajeel chuckled and quickly kissed Lucy before he moved to kneel on the bed in front of her. He looked down at his hips and placed a hand on each one, between the v-shaped definition in his muscles and the bone, then looked at Lucy and winked while he started channeling his magic. There were three distinct pinches on each side when he created the small piercings directly in his skin, but within seconds the pain faded into nothingness and Gajeel cut off his magic then removed his hands.

Lucy's eyes widened and her jaw dropped open when she saw the newest additions to Gajeel's body. Just like on his arms, there were three separate iron piercings in each hip that were separated by a little more than an inch. They were perfectly in line with that delicious cut in his muscles that always made her drool, and angled in a way that seemed to even accentuate it. "Do they hurt?" she asked, raising a hand and hovering over them carefully.

Gajeel grinned as he pulled her hand to his hip, moaning softly when her fingers danced lightly over the still sensitive skin. "Not anymore," he whispered.

Lucy glanced up at his face, then smirked at him and leaned forward. She pressed a soft kiss to each piercing, then said, "Well, I love them. They're perfect."

Gajeel blushed and sat back down on the bed, then pulled Lucy into his lap again. "Well, they're yours," he said finally.

"Mine?"

Gajeel nodded enthusiastically. "Bunny-Approved!" he shouted. "Best piercings yet. I even got kisses for them."

Lucy giggled and kissed his nose, then said, "Well, I had to make them feel better."

"You ready for yours, Bunny?"

Lucy nodded and asked, "Where am I getting it?"

"I know just the place," Gajeel whispered. "But, first… Do you want it to look like anything?"

Lucy leaned in to whisper in Gajeel's ear, a soft smile on her face. When she pulled back, to look at him hopefully she saw the biggest smile yet stretched across his face while he nodded repeatedly. She squealed in surprise when his lips crashed over hers, but instantly melted into him while her arms wrapped around his neck.

Gajeel carefully laid Lucy down on the bed, then slowly kissed a path down to her navel. He grinned up at her and said, "Right here." When Lucy giggled and nodded, Gajeel sat up on his knees and pulled one of her hands into his grasp, then used the other to carefully pinch the skin on the top of her belly button. "Squeeze if it hurts, okay Bunny?" he asked softly.

"Okay," Lucy answered, her eyes glued to Gajeel's fingers as he started channeling his magic into them. There was a sharp, piercing pain that caused her to squeeze his hand until he finally cut off his magic a minute later. She watched Gajeel's hand glide across her stomach while he leaned down and kissed the new piercing, closing his eyes and lifting one corner of his mouth into a smirk.

Gajeel opened his eyes slowly while he pulled away from Lucy's stomach, and smiled down at the little iron piercing she'd asked him to give her. Instead of a ball on each end like he normally would have done, there was a small dragon's head that bore a striking resemblance to Metallicana in place on the top of the piercing, and then a dragon's body complete with wings on the bottom. He couldn't believe she had asked him for a dragon, but if that's what Lucy wanted then that was what she would get.

"How does it look?" Lucy asked curiously, lifting her head to get a better look at the new piercing.

"Perfect," Gajeel answered softly while he looked up at her. He lightly tugged on her hand to help her sit up and kissed her knuckles. "What do you think, Bunny?"

Lucy carefully prodded the new piercing, wincing slightly when there was a small burst of pain. It was to be expected, but she hoped it wouldn't take too long to heal completely. She grinned when she saw the dragon, and said, "You're right, it's perfect." She looked up at Gajeel and kissed him gently. "Always always, right?"

Gajeel smiled and nodded at her. "Definitely."

"Now I've got proof that you'll always be my dragon," Lucy giggled, pointing playfully at her navel.

Gajeel's smile faltered, his face turning pensive, and he asked, "That's why you wanted it?"

Lucy giggled again and nodded happily, bouncing lightly on the bed in her excitement. "Yeah!" she said with a wide grin, "And now when I'm not right next to you, I'll still have you with me. I'll never be dragon-less again!" Lucy's hands flew up into the air, and if she could have managed it, she would have twirled in happy little circles right then.

Gajeel grinned at her, warmth blooming in his chest in huge waves that crashed through the rest of his body. He lunged forward, tackling the gorgeous blonde to the bed and nuzzling her neck while a contented growl rumbled in his chest.

"Gajeel, you're purring again," Lucy whispered as she wrapped her arms around him.

"No, I'm not," he answered with a small pout as he looked up at her.

Lucy gave him a pointed look and said, "Yes you are. That's what it sounds like." She ran her fingers through his hair, lightly dragging her nails across his scalp, and smiled when Gajeel's nose dropped to her neck again and the purring noise increased. "See? Purring. It's okay, I like it."

"You do?" he asked uncertainly, moving to the other side of her neck and inhaling her scent again and again.

"Of course I do," Lucy said as she rubbed her cheek along his. "You only do it when you're happy, so if it's happening then I know that's how you feel."

"How do you know that?" he asked.

"Well, the first time you did it was while we were sleeping right after the mission," Lucy said with a reminiscent smile. "I started rubbing the piercings in your arm, and it got louder when I held your hand."

"So, _you_ did that?" Gajeel asked with a sly smile. "I thought I grabbed your hand in my sleep."

Lucy giggled and shook her head. "Nope, that was me. You did it again the last time you bit me. So what made you happy this time?"

"You did," Gajeel answered softly. He moved so his head was lying on her chest, his ear pressed just above her heart, and lightly squeezed her with a contented sigh. "You wanna keep me with you, Bunny. Why wouldn't I be happy about that?"

Lucy blushed and pressed a kiss to the top of Gajeel's head. "Well, of course I want to keep you with me. What kind of Bunny would I be if I didn't have my Dragon with me?"

Gajeel smirked and said teasingly, "You'd be a _very_ bad Bunny."

"But, I'm a good Bunny!" Lucy said in earnest. "See? Look at my tummy, it's got 'Good Bunny' written all over it now!"

Gajeel lifted his head and looked down at Lucy's stomach, smiling when he saw the piercing again. "I don't see it," he said. "Where does it say that?"

"Right here!" Lucy shouted with a wide smile, pointing at her navel. "It says it!"

"I don't know," Gajeel teased, "My eyes are pretty good, and I don't see it."

Lucy pouted at him, then grabbed his hair with both hands and forced his head down to her stomach until her navel was directly in his line of sight, merely an inch away. "Right _here_, Gajeel. See? 'Good Bunny'!"

Gajeel laughed, crossing his eyes to keep the little iron dragon in focus. "Oh," he drawled, "I see it now." When he heard Lucy's light laughter, Gajeel's tongue snaked out and flattened over her taut stomach, traveling from just above her golden curls to her navel.

Lucy squeaked in surprise and pulled his head away from her, staring wide-eyed at the devious grin on Gajeel's face. "What was that for?"

"Just checking," Gajeel answered. "You taste like a good Bunny, too."

Lucy laughed and said, "Have you tasted many bad Bunnies?"

Gajeel frowned and shook his head fervently. "No, you're the only Bunny for me."

"Then how do you know I taste like a good Bunny and not a bad one?"

"Because I know you're a good Bunny," Gajeel answered simply. "You're sweet and nice. You smell amazing, and taste even better. You're beautiful, and smart… And you understand me… Of course you're a good Bunny. Probably the best one out there."

Lucy's smile softened with each heartfelt word that passed Gajeel's lips, and she slowly sat up until her chest was pressed against his. "I'm really glad I met you, Gajeel," she whispered happily.

Gajeel captured her lips briefly before saying, "I'm glad I met you too."

* * *

><p><strong>And that's it for the chapter! I know it was another fluffy chapter, but the next chapter or the one after will start to spiral downwards. Be prepared for that! Haha!<strong>

**So, Review, Follow, Favorite! I love you guys! ~~GemNika**

**(Also, to the ladies in The Crack Fiction Liberation Army: You're wonderful and amazing, and I can't believe how crazy our conversations get! Thanks so much for being there to talk me down from the writer's block cliff!)**


	9. How Much?

**A/N: No note this time. Just strap yourselves in and enjoy the ride.  
><strong>

**(I don't own Fairy Tail. If you can convince Mashima to give it to me, then our dearest Lucy will have a harem in no time…)**

* * *

><p>"<em>Then how do you know I taste like a good Bunny and not a bad one?"<em>

_ "Because I know you're a good Bunny," Gajeel answered simply. "You're sweet and nice. You smell amazing, and taste even better. You're beautiful, and smart… And you understand me… Of course you're a good Bunny. Probably the best one out there."_

_ Lucy's smile softened with each heartfelt word that passed Gajeel's lips, and she slowly sat up until her chest was pressed against his. "I'm really glad I met you, Gajeel," she whispered happily._

_ Gajeel captured her lips briefly before saying, "I'm glad I met you too."_

~.~

"Gajeel," Lucy whispered with a small smile, "Did you want to tell me why you like smelling me so much now?"

Gajeel grinned and wrapped his arms more tightly around Lucy's waist, pressing his chest to her back and nuzzling the second bite he'd given her that night. "I told you already though," he whispered while one hand slid slowly up and down her waist, "It's relaxing."

Lucy giggled and rolled over in his embrace to look up into his eyes. "You said there was more to it than that," she said, "And you told me to ask next time you bit me."

Gajeel chuckled and kissed her forehead. "You're memory is too good sometimes," he whispered with a small pout. When he looked down to see her smiling softly up at him, he said, "I don't have a lot of memories of what my life was like before Metallicana found me, but your scent reminds me of when my mom used to bake. I didn't realize it at first, and I just thought you smelled really good and that it was relaxing, but a couple weeks ago I figured it out."

"That's really sweet, Gajeel," Lucy whispered, her smile widening when she saw a light blush on his cheeks.

"It makes me happy, Bunny," Gajeel continued while he nestled his nose in her hair. "Smelling you makes me forget about everything that's gone wrong in my life. That's why it's so relaxing—I'm not worried about everything else, so I can focus on being with you."

Lucy wrapped her arms tightly around Gajeel's waist and brushed her nose back and forth over his chest. "Gajeel," she whispered, "Do you care about me?"

"More than I care about anyone else," Gajeel answered.

"But, you don't care about anyone, so that doesn't really count," Lucy pouted. "Come on, tell me."

"I don't know how else to say it, Bunny."

"Okay," Lucy said with a nod, "How about you tell me the one thing you want more than anything else in the world, aside from finding your dad?"

Gajeel didn't even let himself think over her question, and instead just answered with the first thing that popped into his head. "All I've ever wanted was for someone to care enough not to leave me."

Lucy smiled and lightly kissed his chest, then whispered, "I care about you, Gajeel. A whole lot."

"You do?"

"Yeah," Lucy said with a deep blush on her cheeks.

"Well… me too," Gajeel said slowly. "I care about you a whole lot too, Bunny." He paused and smiled when he felt Lucy hum happily and kiss his chest again. "What about you? What do you want more than anything else?"

"To be accepted for who I am..." Lucy whispered sadly.

Gajeel frowned and rolled so Lucy was lying on his chest, and slowly slid up the bed until his back was against her headboard. "What do you mean?" he asked, sliding his hands slowly up and down her back.

Lucy shrugged and said, "I told you that my mom was the one that really understood me. But my dad was the exact opposite. He hated magic, and tried to keep me away from it. He even had me locked in my room while he hid my mom's keys from me a few times, then always 'forgot' I was locked up for a long time. He wanted me to be just like him, and do what he wanted… I couldn't be myself when I still lived at home."

"So, what happened?" Gajeel asked with a frown. He couldn't remember Lucy ever having told him about anyone from her past aside from her mother, and the fact that she had a father that had been in her life at all was completely surprising to him. With the way Lucy always smiled while talking about her mother, Gajeel had thought that the woman was the only parental figure she had.

Lucy slowly pulled herself away and looked deeply into Gajeel's eyes. "Promise you won't be mad?" she whispered, nibbling nervously on her lower lip. When Gajeel nodded, Lucy sighed and kept her gaze locked on his while she finally told him about the one thing she kept to herself. "I've never told anyone what my real name is, aside from Master Jose. It's Lucy Heartfilia… My dad is Jude Heartfilia, one of the richest and most powerful people in Fiore."

"So, you're one of those high class people?" Gajeel asked incredulously, furrowing his brow when Lucy flinched and wrapped her arms around herself as if she was trying to hide. Gajeel finally realized why her name had sounded so familiar when Master Jose had showed him her file before their mission—this was one of the wealthiest girls in the country, and her father had connections out the wazoo. He couldn't see Lucy as being anything other than herself, so it was hard to try and imagine her in a ball gown with expensive fabric, perfect and rigid posture, completely emotionless aside from coy smiles and batting eyelashes. That wasn't who Lucy was at all.

Lucy nodded. "I ran away from home a few months before I joined the guild. I can't stand how everyone in high society acts like they're better than everyone else, and my dad has been trying to marry me off for the past two years so he can make money off of it. He doesn't care about what I want—that I wanted to be a mage, join a guild, and have freedom—only about his business. I'm just an asset to him, not his daughter. Once my mom died, he changed… I guess he used to be nicer when she was alive, but I don't really remember it. If I had stayed, he would have eventually forced me to marry some old pervert, and then I never would have seen my spirits again. He told me that he would keep my mother's keys once I was married, and that I wouldn't have any use for them anyway… He said it would be my duty to my future husband to care for our children, not to toy around with something as pointless as magic. That was all he ever said to me about my future: that it was my job to get married, keep my husband happy, and give him as many children as he wanted to further his own line. So, I ran away to find a place where someone would actually accept me… flaws and all…"

Gajeel frowned and carefully cupped Lucy's face in his hands, his thumbs gliding just under her eyes to brush away the tears that had started welling in them. He hated the idea of her being forced into something like that, having her choice of who she spent her life with ripped away. _How could he say something like that?! _From what Metallicana had taught Gajeel, he viewed relationships as fully equal—if Gajeel ever decided to mate, then the woman he spent his life with would have just as much say in their lives as he did. The way Lucy's father viewed it was that she was nothing more than a possession for some man to do with as he pleased once there was a ring on her finger. Forcing Lucy into a marriage, into a man's bed, and to bear his children when she didn't love him was the same in Gajeel's eyes as what those men in the mountains had tried to do to her. "I won't let that happen, Bunny," he whispered, every word that left him filled to the brim with both his anger that someone would try to take away her chance at a bright future and some emotion he was having trouble identifying right then.

"What do you mean?" she asked timidly. "If he ever finds a way to force me to go back…"

"He won't," Gajeel said with a soft and encouraging smile. "No one is gonna take my Bunny's choice away. You get to decide what you want out of life, not him. If he ever tries to take you away, I'll show him just what your Dragon is capable of."

"Y-You'd… really do that?" Lucy asked, unwrapping her arms from her middle to slide her hands up Gajeel's arms until they rested over his own on her cheeks. "You'd protect me?"

"Of course I will," he whispered. Everything seemed to move in slow motion while he leaned forward and brought his lips to hers in a tender kiss, gently moving his lips over the plump, trembling lips of the blonde in his lap while she tried to keep her emotions in check. Gajeel pulled back just enough to look into Lucy's eyes, instantly feeling like he'd fallen into those milk chocolate depths that swirled with so many emotions he could even begin to name them. "You got what you've always wanted, you know," he whispered, capturing her lips again and slowly moving his hands around to sift his fingers through her golden tresses.

Lucy let her hands wander over Gajeel's chest and slowly pulled away from him. "How so?" she asked.

"I mean you found what you're looking for, Bunny," Gajeel said with a soft smile. "You've got me."

"Y-You…" Lucy stuttered meekly, hope flaring in her chest that she wasn't as alone as she thought. "Flaws and everything else… You really…"

Gajeel grinned and nodded fervently. "Of course. We understand each other. It's hard as hell to find someone that's willing to deal with me at all, or that I can even stand being around. And…" Gajeel stopped and his eyes went wide when he realized just what he was about to say to her.

"And?" Lucy asked, tilting her head to the side. "Talk to me," she said earnestly when Gajeel stayed completely silent, staring at her in utter shock.

"And… I… I more than care about you, Bunny," Gajeel admitted, still completely astonished by where his mind had gone and the fact that everything in him was yelling at him to just tell her.

"… How much more?" Lucy asked. She squeaked when Gajeel pinned her to the bed and filled her core in one swift motion—silently wondering how she hadn't noticed how aroused he was before then. Her cries from his relentless and wild pace were muffled when his mouth slanted over hers, and there was nothing Lucy could possibly do to bring herself to care that she would definitely be sore later. She had no idea what had suddenly come over him, how he had gone from talking one moment to screwing her brains out the next, but he was ruthless right then in a way that Lucy had hardly known was possible. She ripped her mouth from Gajeel's and moaned when his hand dove between them to start circling her sensitive pearl with his thumb. "Gajeel!" she cried out, arching her back and trying to keep up when he started moving even faster. "Tell me… Please… Tell me."

Gajeel knew that there was only one way for him to actually admit it, to tell her what he'd apparently been itching to say for ages according to his inner dragon. He was scared as hell to do it, his whole body tensed and the small portion of his mind that was still normal—the part that was usually reeling over the things he said or did with Lucy while they were like this—was fighting with everything it had to keep the revelation to himself. He wanted to tell her, wanted it more than anything else in that moment, but his fear was holding him back. The only way for him to relax enough to say what he needed to was for Lucy to bite him for a third time that night, so that his fear would completely melt away. Gajeel growled and dragged his teeth roughly across Lucy's chest while he plunged into her soaking depths. "I'll tell you," he groaned, "But you have to… ngh… bite me again."

Lucy's eyes widened when she heard how deep Gajeel's voice had gotten, and her body shivered as it vibrated through her and sent shot after shot of pure pleasure to her core. "Wh-What?" she panted, tilting her head to the side when he moved up to roughly suck the skin on her neck into his mouth.

"Fuck, Bunny," Gajeel groaned as her walls tightened around him briefly while he palmed her breast, teasing her and letting the sounds of their bodies joining overwhelm him. He lifted her leg over his shoulder and angled his hips only for his eyes to roll back when her sex started to frantically flutter around him. "I'm…" he panted, pausing in his explanation while he got lost in how wonderful it felt to have her wrapped around him while his hips slammed against her, "I'm scared… mmph… To tell you… Oh, fuck!" Gajeel dropped her leg and grabbed her hips only to start pounding into her with everything he had, her wild screams spurring him on to keep pleasing her again and again. He fought against the pressure building inside of him with every powerful thrust into her, pushing down the urge to fill her right then so that he could give her another bite when she crested that peak with him.

Lucy wrapped an arm around Gajeel's neck and pulled him down into a searing kiss while that familiar tingling started washing over her limbs and made her thighs clench around his pistoning hips. She had never known Gajeel to be afraid of anything, and had honestly thought that the Slayer was incapable of something like that. Hearing him so openly admit that he was afraid to tell her something, that he needed her to bite him again so he could say it had Lucy's heart thudding painfully hard in her chest while her magic started swelling inside of her. It washed through her and mixed with the euphoria from her previous bites and the climax Gajeel was forcing to the surface. Everything inside of her was begging to be released—her magic, the swell of emotion at hearing his open confession, her orgasm—and Lucy's mind decided to focus on one thing that she'd always wanted to hear from him. She barely pulled back, her lips still brushing over his, and rasped, "Say my name, and I'll bite you." When Gajeel's eyes shot open to look at her in confusion, Lucy moaned and smiled. "Just once… I wanna hear you say it."

Gajeel grinned, knowing just how close the gorgeous blonde was to her own release while she tensed around him, and trailed a path of small bites across her jaw to her ear. With a feral growl rumbling from deep within him, Gajeel gave her just what she wanted. "Bite me," he growled, fighting back his own release until she found hers, "Lucy."

Lucy's body felt as if it had exploded into a million tiny motes of ecstasy when her name passed his lips; the single word that her entire identity was based on rumbled perfectly from him and shattered everything inside of her. Lucy screamed out a garbled and guttural version Gajeel's name until she felt his hand tangle in her hair and force her mouth to his unbitten shoulder. Just when Lucy's teeth sunk into him, she felt his own clamp down on her to give her the third bite of the night while he finally spilled over. Lucy couldn't find it in herself to let his shoulder go from her grasp while she panted and whimpered beneath him. When the high she'd been experiencing all night started to intensify more than she thought she could bear, Lucy felt the familiar wash of her magic coursing more intensely through her as if she was meditating.

For the first time in his life, Gajeel felt a sense of belonging wash through him when her blood burst across his tongue, and when he heard Lucy's ragged breathing and moans turn into soft and feminine growls he couldn't help but flex his hips again and again to keep those sounds coming. Once the first droplet of that sweet crimson liquid traveled down his throat, Gajeel's body lit up as every nerve ending seemed to awaken from some dulled sense of existence. His eyes slid closed while he let his body return to normal, and he was swept away by his other senses taking control. He didn't realize that the dragon inside of him was surfacing, forcing its own wild and terrifyingly low growls to escape his body. Gajeel was too caught up in how Lucy's sex spasmed in time with his pulsing shaft, the way her sweat-slicked skin rubbed perfectly against his own as he involuntarily started another slower round of sex, how the vibrations of her petite growls against his flesh zipped through him while the primal part of his brain instinctually suckled on her flesh to draw more of her blood into him.

Lucy felt as though she was slowly swirling down into a drain, pleasure washing over her in intensifying waves while she kept her teeth clamped on Gajeel. She tasted the purest metallic essence of him while his blood coated her teeth and slid lazily into her mouth, and when Lucy reflexively swallowed it her eyes rolled back and her tongue brushed over his skin to pull more of it into her. Her magic pulsed from deep within her, each pulse growing and shooting to her fingers and toes, causing Lucy's hips to roll against the still rigid shaft nestled deep within her.

Gajeel felt as though he was complete in that moment, holding Lucy in his arms and giving her everything he had to offer on a platter. His heart swelled, warm and comforting waves calmly rolling through him and carrying everything that he was out to her.

"_Make her yours,"_ his inner dragon whispered with a grin. "_Give yourself to her._"

That was exactly what Gajeel wanted, felt it with every fiber of his being. He wanted Lucy in a way he'd never known possible. He wasn't scared or confused, and he felt every part of himself willingly giving in to the idea of letting her have his heart and soul if she wanted it. The dragon had the right idea as far as Gajeel was concerned, and he couldn't see any reason to hold himself back.

"_Just let it happen. Let her take you, care for you. She's what you need,"_ the dragon whispered. _"She understands you. Cares about you. She sees what you see. Let go of everything, and give her what she needs."_

Gajeel growled again while his magic swelled inside of him, and he barely registered the resounding hum of Lucy's magic in her own body. He wanted to listen to the dragon; it had never steered him wrong before. Gajeel's mind clouded even further, the sweet scent of the blonde filling his lungs and making him lightheaded.

"_Yes," _the dragon whispered excitedly, _"Mark her. Make her yours."_

Gajeel's eyes shot open and he quickly pulled his mouth away from Lucy when he realized his body was trying to force his magic into the bite. "Shit," he muttered, looking over to see that she was already lost in the aftermath of what they'd done. He sucked in a sharp breath when some strange tingling sensation started spreading from his newest bite, and the fingers that were still threaded through Lucy's hair tightened while he unconsciously pressed her closer to him. Before he could get lost entirely in the new sensation that was trickling into him, Gajeel noticed that her teeth were still buried in his shoulder. His eyes widened and he nuzzled her hair with his nose while carefully pulling her away. "Careful," he whispered, when he heard her moan and felt Lucy trying to move back in to bite him again, "You can't bite me now, Bunny. Something bad will happen if you do."

Lucy moaned again and slowly opened her eyes to look into the blood red orbs above her while she licked her lips. "But you taste so good," she rasped, smiling seductively up at Gajeel. "I want more."

Gajeel felt as if he would melt right then with the way she was looking at him, and the intense heat that spread through him only heightened the longer he stared into her sated eyes. "So help me clean up," he answered in a low growl, grinning when she shivered, "Just don't bite."

"I can taste you though?" she asked hopefully, leaning up and lightly running her tongue over the bite mark she'd just left.

"All you want," Gajeel groaned, dropping his head to lightly lap up the excess blood on her own shoulder. He gasped when he realized Lucy had decided to give him a hickey over the bite mark, and when her hands started gliding over his back and down towards his rear before moving up again, Gajeel couldn't suppress the large shudder that ran through him or the approving growl that escaped his lips.

Lucy pulled back, circling her tongue around the wound one last time before she admired her handiwork and kissed a path up Gajeel's throat to his jaw. She couldn't stop her hands from moving over every inch of him, feeling small erotic sparks fly from his body to hers and sending her own in return if the way he was moving was any indication. Gajeel's hands travelled everywhere they could reach, slowly kneading every muscle he came across before his arms barred around her waist and his lips captured hers.

Gajeel rolled them over, with Lucy lying on top of him and keeping himself nestled inside of her, and his hands slid down to her hips to start slowly grinding her against the arousal that hadn't diminished even with his release. He had known that having more than one bite would increase the intensity of the high they were feeling, but he never realized that each of them having three bites in a single night would make this much of a difference in their ability to let one another go. There wasn't a single part of him that was worried right then about how close he had come to marking her permanently, and all he wanted was to feel every inch of her quiver under his touch. Lucy was the only thing on his mind at that point, but he couldn't tell how much of it was from his recent realization and how much was from the bite.

Lucy's laugh was low and husky while she pulled back to look at Gajeel, intentionally rolling her hips and nearly collapsing when she felt each individual piercing in his shaft send pleasure crashing through her. "Ready to go again, huh?" she purred.

"God yes," Gajeel groaned, pulling Lucy back down to him while he still kept a slow pace with her. When he thought about telling her what he'd realized, Gajeel found that he'd been right before—the sane and normal part of his mind was awash in pleasure right then, and wasn't putting up a fight. "Did you still want to know?" he asked, pressing a soft kiss to her lips and moaning when he felt her quickly suck his lower lip into her mouth.

"Yes."

Gajeel flexed his hips and pushed her down onto his shaft forcefully, causing Lucy's eyes to fly open. He slowed right back down and brought a hand to her face, gently cupping her cheek. "I more than care, Bunny," he whispered, forcing his gaze to stay locked on hers and the haze in his head to clear just enough to focus on her every reaction.

"How much more?" Lucy asked again, her breath stalling in her throat from the strange new emotion that filled Gajeel's eyes while he looked at her. It was the same look he'd given her while they were behind the waterfall, and Lucy had a feeling that she was about to find out just what it meant.

Gajeel kissed her one more time, then finally admitted what he'd been too afraid to say before. "I love you, Bunny."

Lucy's eyes went wide, her jaw dropped open, and her brain and heart completely stopped working. Her heart started working first, instantly melting into a pathetic little puddle and spreading warmth through her before it reformed and skipped several beats erratically. Her mind was the next to come back, bringing memories of every time that Gajeel had given her this same soft look she was now able to identify. Her brain wasn't fully functioning, especially now that she was sporting three fresh bite wounds from their night together, so all Lucy could do was let the news sink in and tell him what was on her mind. "I… I love you too," she whispered with a watery smile as tears she wasn't aware of started flowing freely down her cheeks.

Gajeel grinned up at the crying blonde and wiped her tears away while he pulled her into another long, tender kiss. She'd made him wait all of two seconds before she answered him, and the fact that he'd been scared to tell her in the first place seemed silly now that he knew it wasn't one-sided. He was absolutely ecstatic, and all he could do was bask in the perfection that was this moment. His dragon was right in a sense, and Gajeel knew it: he would give Lucy everything that he was if she wanted it, he would care for her just as he knew she would care for him, and nothing could stop him from letting her see just how much those three words passing her lips had meant to him. He may have held himself back from marking her, but Gajeel knew that if she wanted it then he'd willingly give her just that. There was only a bare remnant of his normal and sane mind that popped up right then, but all it told him was to wait it out and give her time, to be cautious because he couldn't bear to lose someone he loved again. He slowly rolled onto his side, keeping one of Lucy's legs pulled over his, and allowed himself to do just what he wanted. Gajeel's lips never left hers while he moved slowly and carefully with her, holding tightly onto the woman he cared for and never letting her go.

* * *

><p>Lucy woke up the next morning feeling utterly spent in the most wonderful way possible, with only the barest remnants of the euphoric calm washing over her in small, lazy waves. She carefully slid her hand up Gajeel's side, and sighed while her fingers lightly trailed over each of his well-defined muscles. Keeping her eyes closed with a soft smile on her face, Lucy listened to the steady beating of Gajeel's heart and the purring noise he started making as her fingers kept moving over him while she remembered just what they had actually said the night before.<p>

Gajeel tightened his grip on Lucy with the arm that was still wrapped around her, and lifted his head just enough to press a soft kiss to the top of her head. "Morning," he said with a lazy smile, his voice gravelly and his body completely exhausted.

"Mm," Lucy mumbled, turning her head slowly and kissing Gajeel's chest before snuggling closer to him.

"You alright?" Gajeel taunted half-heartedly, "I didn't break you, did I?"

"Mm," Lucy mumbled again, fighting the grin that wanted to spread across her face. Her eyes creaked open, and she tilted her head up to look at Gajeel, inhaling his metal-and-cinnamon scent while she stretched. Once she saw the amused and gleaming red eyes barely peeking out from between his mostly closed eyelids, Lucy smiled lazily up at Gajeel. "Not broken," she whispered, "Just tired."

"Really?" Gajeel said with a small smirk. He purred—yes, he was fully willing to admit it sounded that way after the night before when Lucy had successfully called him out on it—when Lucy's hand moved down to his hip and started slowly circling his newest piercings. "Why would you be tired?"

Lucy frowned and was barely able to manage a glare at Gajeel while she lightly smacked his hip. Her eyebrows pushed together when he hissed in pain and quickly grabbed her hand, holding it tightly to his piercings. Lucy's eyes shot open completely when she realized what she'd done to hurt him, and she pulled away slightly to look down at the spot their hands were covering. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I didn't mean to—"

Gajeel pulled Lucy closer and took a deep breath, forcing himself to ignore the stinging pain in his hip where Lucy had hit him. It had been a while since he'd given himself a new piercing, so he'd forgotten to tell her how sore he would actually be afterwards. Gajeel had told Lucy how to take care of her own piercing, every minute detail she would need to know so it didn't get infected, and even how long it would be tender. His own was on a whole other level when it came to pain; Lucy's went through a portion of her skin and came out the other side while Gajeel's was embedded in his skin and a small bit of his muscle. Instead of piercing himself normally, Gajeel knew that he would need to make them deeper because of how often he got into fights; if they were any shallower, then the piercings could easily be ripped out. "It's fine," he whispered through clenched teeth. "Just a little sore, Bunny."

Lucy frowned again, but still pressed closer to Gajeel when his hand finally released hers. She looked down at his exposed hip and carefully circled her finger around one of the piercings, her frown disappearing when Gajeel sighed and kissed her head again. "Better?" she asked while moving on to the next one.

"Mm-hmm," Gajeel answered, "I forgot to tell you that I'd be sore."

Lucy kissed Gajeel's chest again and said, "Well, you did say _I_ would be sore, so it would make sense that you're sore too."

"You still never answered my question," Gajeel said with a smirk when she moved to circle the third piercing on his hip.

Lucy rolled her eyes and closed them, listening to the purring noise that had started back up for a minute. "I'm tired because we were up until four in the morning, fucking each other's brains out and acting like lunatics."

"Yeah, but you enjoyed yourself, didn't you?" Gajeel retorted smugly.

"I did," Lucy answered mid-yawn. "I just didn't realize that my Dragon had so much stamina. My legs still feel like limp noodles."

Gajeel chuckled and absently rubbed circles over Lucy's back. "You kept up with me, little Bunny. Just one more reason for the nickname—you keep going, and going, and going…"

"That's just wrong," Lucy pouted. It didn't last long before Gajeel quickly tickled her side and forced a laugh out of Lucy, then moved back to rubbing his hand along her back. "Hey, Gajeel?" she asked softly.

"Hm?"

"Did you start piercing yourself right after you got your magic?"

Gajeel raised an eyebrow as he stared at the top of her head, then sighed and said, "Pretty much. I did my ears first, then my eyebrows, and tongue. After Metallicana disappeared, I did my arms since they reminded me of the spikes he has on his. Couple months later, I did my nose and chin, then I pierced my dick some time last year. Why?"

Lucy shrugged and looked up at him with a soft smile. "Just curious. Does my piercing look like him?"

Gajeel's eyes widened marginally, but he still nodded. "How'd you know?"

She carefully moved up and pressed her lips to his in a chaste kiss, her entire body fighting against every move she tried to make. Once Lucy laid back down on Gajeel's chest, she said, "I figured you would make a dragon that looks like him. He's a huge part of your life."

"There's more to it than that, Bunny," Gajeel said softly.

"Wanna tell me then?"

Gajeel sighed and shook his head, squeezing her gently and nestling his nose in her hair. "Some other time," he whispered, "I don't wanna think about it right now."

Lucy nodded and wrapped her arm around Gajeel's waist again. "Okay," she whispered back, "Whenever you want to tell me, just let me know."

Gajeel nodded absently, furrowing his brow while he stared up at the ceiling of Lucy's apartment. He was completely lost in thought concerning Metallicana, even though he wanted nothing more than to ignore that particular topic. He'd learned everything he knew about life from that dragon, looked up to him as the father he'd never known. Gajeel didn't have very many memories of his life before Metallicana found him, just that he was adopted when he was a baby and didn't have the best role models as he got older. His mom had gotten killed at some point and he never knew the guy that was supposed to be his dad, so once she was gone Gajeel had been left all alone to fend for himself when he was still a little kid. The three years he'd spent on the streets had hardened him, and when Metallicana found him half-dead in the woods after trying to fight off a bear he nursed the young, angry kid back to health. The iron bastard must have seen something in Gajeel that made him want to pass on his magic to the boy, but Gajeel never found out what it was. He honestly believed that the only dragon in existence that could have dealt with his fucked up bullshit was that particularly anti-social and downright nasty iron dragon, and sometimes wondered just where he would have ended up—assuming he'd lived after being mauled by a bear—if he hadn't been taken in. _I would have been killed at some point if he hadn't found me,_ Gajeel thought.

Aside from being a hard-ass and teaching Gajeel about his magic, Metallicana had surprised him when he brought the young boy into deep conversations about seemingly frivolous things—like the sunrise. Gajeel had been forced to watch a pack of wolves descending on an injured moose that had been separated from its herd, and Metallicana had used it as a lesson on how the strong prey on the weak in the wild as a means for survival; he had also said that, as a Dragon Slayer, it was Gajeel's job to protect the weak from those that abuse their power. Survival was one thing, but subjugation and enslavement were something else entirely. The dragon had asked him what he saw when he looked at things—stars, clouds, trees, grass, even the distant horizon while they were flying through the air—and he'd insisted that Gajeel look past what his initial reaction was to find the hidden story beneath as a means of self-exploration. He learned how to read and write from the dragon, how to identify poisonous plants or animals, and the similarities between himself and other animals (not just dragons) with the addition of his magic. He'd been taught about nature: to appreciate it for its beauty; to find a sense of peace in how simplistic it seemed even though it was teeming with life that was far more complex than anything he could imagine; to respect the lives of every being he encountered, regardless of how much weaker they might be in comparison to himself. Life and love was what Metallicana said was most important, that it should be protected at all costs, just as a dragon hoards treasures and trinkets. Gajeel didn't know if some of those lessons were to try and reverse the damage that had been done to him while growing up, and make him more compassionate and less abrasive, but they had become a part of who he was because he wanted his father to be proud of him.

All Gajeel had ever wanted was for someone to care.

Gajeel knew that Metallicana cared about him, he'd even been told that he was the closest thing the dragon had ever had to family in its long life, so he just couldn't understand _why_ he was left alone again. After everything that had happened, how he finally felt like he had someone that loved him in return, Gajeel was all alone. Abandoned by his parent for the third time in his life—his birth parents (or just his mother, who knew), his adoptive human mother and her utterly absent husband, and then the dragon that he'd looked up to that held each and every memory that he cherished. Maybe it was just something about _him_ that made everyone leave. There wasn't really any way for him to find out since he couldn't ask anyone that had left before, and he wasn't willing to let anyone else in just for them to do the same thing. When a soft, breathy sigh puffed out across his chest, Gajeel looked down to see the head of golden blonde hair he'd been nuzzling. He listened to Lucy's breathing and heartbeat, and knew that she hadn't fallen back asleep. She was perfectly content to lie stark naked in her own bed while she was curled around him. Anyone else would have hightailed it out of there once they were finished—_Shit, that's what I used do before her, _he thought—but Lucy never did. Their first time together, she had gotten cleaned up and came right back to him. Every time they had sex, she never left him. She always came back.

His mind was reeling at the realization, but he forced his body to stay relaxed so she would be none the wiser to what he was thinking about. It was either something about her or something about himself that had her coming back to him time and again. He didn't know what it was. Maybe she just trusted him. Maybe she wanted to keep as much physical contact while they were away from everyone, since they couldn't be seen as too close while they were in public. It could be that she was insane to lie next to him when they really couldn't stand each other for long. One thing that he knew wasn't the case was the fact that he'd bitten her again; Lucy stuck around before they started biting one another, so he couldn't even rationalize that it was the high they'd gone through that made her stay. Gajeel didn't know what to make of Lucy at all, but he did know that having her around and all to himself for a little over a month had been frustrating, exciting, sexy as hell, confusing, and—oddly enough—relaxing. Maybe there was some unspoken mutual respect between them that he hadn't picked up on, a sense of trust that he hadn't really put much more thought into aside from knowing that it was there. Gajeel frowned at the thought of her eventually deciding that she wanted more than just a physical relationship and moving on without another word on the matter; granted that was her choice entirely, and he didn't really have a say in who she fucked. What he'd said in the rain held much more weight than he'd let on before, and just the thought of losing Lucy in his life in any capacity chilled him to the bone for some reason he couldn't understand. "Bunny," he whispered, squeezing her lightly to get her attention.

"Hm?" Lucy hummed, turning to look up at Gajeel with her eyebrows raised.

"Got a question for ya."

"Sure, what's up?"

Gajeel frowned and sighed, completely unsure of what he wanted to ask her or why it seemed to matter at all. He looked down at her expectant chocolate eyes and saw pure happiness. It floored him to think that she was happy with him around, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was caused by more than just a good lay. She was perfectly relaxed right then, lying in his arms with her chin pressed to his chest and a small smile turning up the corners of her mouth. He should have thought through it more before he got her attention, because now he was sitting and staring at her while he tried to put the words together in his head. "Don't leave, okay?" he finally asked, his words barely more than a breath from the way his throat seemed to constrict a little at the thought of her being gone. _Why should it matter if she leaves? Everyone leaves eventually._

Lucy frowned and propped herself up on her elbow, searching Gajeel's face for any indication of where this was coming from. He was frowning, his brow pushed together in concentration as if he was trying to understand something that was just out of reach. _He doesn't want me to leave?_, she thought, _What's that supposed to mean? _The longer she looked at him, the more she picked up from the subtle hints of his expression changing— like the way his eyes always crinkled a little when he was amused, how they darkened a shade or two when he was thinking about something that upset him, or even how his upper lip would twitch slightly when he tried to hold back a sneer—and saw sadness in him. "Huh?" she asked.

"It's probably gonna sound stupid," Gajeel mumbled, "But, everyone leaves… I know it's supposed to just be fucking between us, but I don't… I don't want you to go."

"Where's this coming from, Gajeel?" Lucy asked, tilting her head to the side and sliding up on the bed so her head was in line with his. She carefully moved her hand to his cheek and gently ran her thumb along his jaw, smiling softly when his eyes closed and he leaned into her touch. "What do you mean 'everyone leaves'?"

Gajeel's eyes opened just enough to look at her and see concern on her face. With a sigh of resignation, he closed his eyes again and slowly pulled her hand away from him. "Don't worry about i—"

Lucy scowled and ripped her hand away from Gajeel's, then smacked him roughly upside the head. When his eyes shot open to glare at her, she pointed her finger in his face and said, "I don't think so, asshole. You can't just ask me something like that without giving me a _little_ more information. So quit being a gaping vagina, and tell me what's going on."

Gajeel's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open to start yelling back at her, then promptly closed when he realized that she had a point. He'd only given her the information he was comfortable with sharing, even though the question of her not leaving was completely out of nowhere and based on his own insecurities. "You'll think I'm more of a pussy just for saying it, Bunny Girl," he ground out with a scowl on his face.

Lucy rolled her eyes and smacked him in the head again.

"Oi! Quit hitting me, psycho!" Gajeel yelled, earning him another smack.

"Shut _up_ for a second!" Lucy yelled back.

"I thought you wanted me to talk," Gajeel retorted.

"I do, but I want you to listen for a goddamn minute, you dense piece of scrap metal!" Gajeel growled at her, only causing Lucy to sigh and shake her head. She leaned down and pressed her lips to the piercings in his eyebrows, effectively cutting off any mildly menacing noises he was making in an instant. Deciding that maybe this was the way to keep him quiet long enough to hear her, Lucy kept her lips lightly on him while she moved down his nose. "Something's bothering you," she said softly, "And it made you ask me that. I want to know what's going on." She paused and peppered his cheek with light kisses, internally smiling when that same rumbling purr started sounding in his chest. "You've helped me with more than just bandaging me up, Gajeel. You took care of me and held me when I was scared, let me sleep next to you to keep my nightmares away, and made me feel less alone in the world for once. Let me return the favor."

"Doesn't make me less of a pussy for i—Goddamnit, Bunny Girl. Stop fucking hitting me!"

"Stop calling yourself a pussy," Lucy shot back with a smirk, running her nose along his and looking deeply into his eyes. "There's only one pussy here, and it's not you—that stayed right between my legs where it belongs, thank you very much." She giggled when Gajeel rolled his eyes, then added, "Talk to me."

"Like I said," Gajeel sighed in defeat. He knew there was no way to get out of it now that he'd opened his damn mouth in the first place. "Everyone leaves."

"Right," Lucy said slowly, "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I've been abandoned three fucking times in my life by the ones that were supposed to care about me," Gajeel growled. "Every time I get close to someone, they up and fucking disappear."

Lucy froze and stared wide-eyed at the man beneath her. "Th-Three times?" she whispered sadly.

"I really don't wanna talk about this shit, Bunny Girl," Gajeel grumbled. When Lucy glared at him and pinned him roughly to the bed while he tried to pull away, he sighed and rolled his eyes. "You're a real bitch sometimes, you know that?"

Lucy nodded with a sickly sweet smile. "I know."

"Yeah, three times. I was put up for adoption when I was a baby, then the woman that adopted me died when I was still a kid. Her husband wasn't around anyway, so I was on my own. Then Metallicana found me, taught me everything I know, then just fucking disappeared in the middle of the night without a word," Gajeel said while he was trying to glare a hole through the ceiling. "Couldn't even find his scent anywhere when I woke up the next day. It's like he just vanished…"

Lucy frowned and slowly pulled Gajeel's face back toward hers so she could look into his eyes again. "That's why you got so upset when I made you think about him? Why you don't know what happened to him?" she whispered.

Gajeel nodded.

"So, what made you ask me not to leave?"

Gajeel shrugged and frowned. "Not sure. I just know I don't want you to go away. I hate you so fucking much sometimes, but I…" Gajeel's eyes widened when he finally remembered what had happened the night before: what he'd almost admitted, that third bite, and even finally saying it out loud. He'd never meant to let that out from the depths of his own subconscious, and he couldn't believe that Lucy had even admitted to the same thing. Finally he shook his head to clear his stupor, and said, "Well, you know..."

Lucy's jaw dropped in complete shock while she stared at him. Usually, they wouldn't mention what was said after their inhibitions dropped from being bitten, but it seemed that Gajeel was actually going to just go with the flow on this one. Lucy slowly shook her head and said, "No, I don't. Tell me."

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her in question, then saw the small hopeful smile on her face that she was failing at hiding from him. He snorted and rolled his eyes, then leaned up and lightly brushed his nose to her chin. "You're a pain in my ass, you know," he grumbled with a small smirk. "I love you, Bunny. I've never told anyone that much about Metallicana before. Or me for that matter. So, like I said. Every time someone gets close, they leave…"

"What makes you think I'll leave though?" Lucy asked when she regained her composure, blushing like crazy and leaning down to give Gajeel a swift peck on the cheek. "Where do you think I'll go?"

"Well, once you decide you're done fucking and want more than that, you'll go find someone that will give you what you're looking for," Gajeel answered honestly. "I'm not that guy, Bunny. We both know that already."

"So… You love me, and you want to keep fucking, but… you don't want me to disappear from your life when I decide to move on?" Lucy asked slowly, completely unsure of whether or not she was following Gajeel's logic.

Gajeel thought about what she'd said for a minute. Did he love her? Yes. Did he want to keep fucking her? Holy motherfucking hell, yes. Did he want her to stay in his life when she moved on? Oddly enough, yeah; he even wanted that. He knew that he would never be the one she settled down with, and didn't see himself settling down either. The memory of what had happened the night before surfaced and shot down his idea of not wanting to settle down, since he'd been more than willing to mark her if she agreed to it. Gajeel wanted to deny that she already meant so much to him, but his heart seemed to have latched onto the feelings she created in him as if it was starved for something more than anger; maybe that really was the case. For the first time since losing Metallicana, Gajeel wasn't tense and angry at everything and it was all because of Lucy. Sure, Gajeel knew how he felt about her, but it also meant that he wanted Lucy to be happy; if moving on into a normal relationship with some other guy was what made her happy, then Gajeel wouldn't stand in the way of that. From what she told him about her life the night before, he knew she deserved some happiness. He would never be able to give her what she really needed in life. He wouldn't be the reason that she woke up every morning with a sweet smile on her face, and there was no way that Lucy would ever agree to eventually having his kids and spend the rest of their lives together. Gajeel felt it with every fiber of his being that one day Lucy would move on from what they had so she could find her future with a man that was deserving of her… At least if she was in his life in some capacity after she moved on, he wouldn't feel like he had been abandoned again. "Pretty much," he said with a smirk and a nod. "Just… when you decide to…" he added uncertainly, "Just give me a heads up."

Lucy smiled gently and nodded. "I can do you one better," she whispered. "I promise that as long as you want us to keep doing whatever this is," she paused and motioned awkwardly between the two of them, "You'll be the only one that's allowed anywhere near my lady bits, and my promise stands until I actually _tell_ you I want something different. How does that sound?"

"What do you mean 'whatever this is'?" Gajeel asked carefully.

"Well, you're my Dragon, Gajeel," Lucy said with a sweet smile and a light blush.

"Right?"

"And what am I?"

Gajeel narrowed his eyes at her, but automatically said, "You're my Bunny."

"Will I ever _not_ be your Bunny?"

Gajeel frowned and shook his head slowly while he said, "No, you'll always be mine."

Lucy slowly slid her fingers over the piercings on his chin, nose, and eyebrows and said, "Exactly. You and I can't seem to keep our thoughts to ourselves while we're riding that wonderful high, even if we have no clue what it really means. And we both admitted to loving each other last night—which, I love you too by the way. So, as far as I'm concerned, you and I are somewhere between 'just fucking' and something else. What that something else is really isn't what's important, but it's obvious that there's more than just a physical relationship with you and me. You're always going to be my Dragon, Gajeel. I don't need anyone else."

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her and studied her for a moment. "You're not planning on fucking anyone else?" he asked.

Lucy scoffed and shook her head. "Trust me, Gajeel. I don't _need_ to fuck someone else if you're that damn good even half of the time. I'm set." She looked at him for a minute, then asked, "How about you?"

"Nah, I'm good," Gajeel answered with a smirk.

"So, what do you say?" Lucy asked with a small smile. "I'm all yours, and you're all mine, for as long as we want."

"That makes it sound like we're dating, Bunny," Gajeel said.

Lucy laughed and rolled her eyes at him. "You haven't asked me out on a date, so we're not dating," she answered. "Besides, I can tell you're not one for romantic gestures or anything like that, and I don't expect you to do any of those things. If you want to do that, then by all means don't let me stop you. But just spending time with you is enough for me."

"You know I'd never ask you," Gajeel mumbled with a sigh. "It wouldn't work out."

Lucy frowned and shook her head slowly. "It's not about whether it would work out, Gajeel," she whispered as she traced one of the bites she'd given him the night before. "It's about being with someone you care about, getting to know them, and finding out if there's something more. Like I said, I don't expect you to do any of that, only for you to be yourself. But… If you ever decided to ask me, I'd say yes."

"Really," Gajeel drawled with a snort as he rolled his eyes, "And why's that?"

"Because then I'd be dating a big bad Dragon Slayer," Lucy teased. "Think of how jealous all those other women would be. Besides, how many guys do you think there are that can deal with me beating their asses all the time?"

"Very funny," Gajeel chuckled. "I'm not asking, so you're shit out of luck."

Lucy shrugged and smiled before kissing Gajeel's cheek, then said, "No big deal. So… You still didn't answer my question. What do you say, Black Steel?"

"Sounds good to me," Gajeel answered with a laugh and a nod. After only a moment, his voice dropped to a hopeful whisper while he held up his hand with only his pinky extended. "Pinky promise, Bunny?"

Lucy's smile widened in an almost childlike manner while she looked from Gajeel's hand to his face. Her hand shot out, her pinky instantly wrapping around his, and she nodded while he chuckled. "Pinky promise," she whispered back sweetly.

"Same goes for me, Bunny. I'm pretty sure you'll be the one to change your mind, but just in case," Gajeel said with a wink. When Lucy giggled, he roughly pulled on her hand until she fell down on his chest, keeping their pinkies intertwined, then instantly brought his free hand up to pull her into a soft kiss.

* * *

><p>"Come in," Jose said with a sigh, setting his pen down on his desk and looking at the door to his office impassively. When he saw two members of the Element Four walking in, a wicked grin spread across his face while he leaned back in his chair. The pair came to a stop in front of him, and he was greeted with complete silence while they waited for him to speak. "Are the preparations complete, Sol?"<p>

"Oui," Sol said with a small bow of his head. "Everything is prepared and awaiting your orders, Master."

"Wonderful," Jose said with a small chuckle. "Is there anything else?" He looked at the pair of mages in front of him, and finally noticed a large envelope in Sol's companion's hand. Once it was placed on his desk, Jose raised an eyebrow at the pair and finally asked, "What might this be, Juvia?"

"Juvia and Sol have completed the secondary mission as assigned," Juvia said solemnly. "Your suspicions were correct, and there is the proof you requested."

"How were you able to gain the information without being seen?" Jose asked, studiously ignoring the envelope for the time being.

"Juvia is the Rain Woman," Juvia answered, "Wherever Juvia goes, the rain follows. They were completely unaware of Juvia's presence and control of the weather."

"I travelled through the earth while she maintained the rain," Sol added. "We took extra precautions because of the target's nature. Had we been detected…"

"Indeed," Jose said with a nod. "Then the target would have been eliminated." When Juvia and Sol nodded in agreement, he sighed and asked, "How close?"

"As close as can be," Sol answered, twirling on side of his pointed green moustache with a devious smirk.

"And the test that was sent out?" Jose asked, finally opening the envelope and looking at the first series of pictures that were provided. His eyes widened when he saw the horrific images that sat in front of him, and looked up at the two mages. "Which one?"

"The girl," Juvia answered. "Juvia was passing through the area while Sol maintained a visual."

Sol grinned at the memory of what he'd witnessed and said, "Oui, she is very skilled. I watched the whole thing. If you look at the next set, you'll see how she did it."

Jose raised an intrigued eyebrow and flipped past the pictures of the mutilated bodies only to chuckle as he saw frame after frame of the woman who had left the scene while she attacked the men he'd sent out. _Perfect,_ he thought, _Just as I wanted her._ She was vicious in each picture while she attacked the men around her, and even though her clothes were nearly non-existent towards the end, he could see the malicious glint in her eyes while her guild mark proudly stood out on her stomach. Jose paused at a picture of the woman straddling one of the mercenaries he'd sent out, her face a mask of erotic pleasure. "What is this one?" he asked, lifting the picture and turning it towards Sol.

"Oh," Sol chuckled. "She seduced him and this is just before she tore out his throat with her teeth. He tied her hands up."

Jose nodded and looked back at the picture, then flipped to the next to see her standing next to the body of the man she'd been straddling with blood pouring down her face and a hunk of flesh between her teeth. He returned his attention to the first few pictures he'd seen after looking through the next couple and gave each corpse a critical eye while he examined the damage she had been able to inflict on them. "There are three, correct?" he asked, looking from one mutilated body to the next.

"Yes," Juvia answered. "One with a torn out windpipe, one that was gutted with a broken neck, and the third…" She paused and glanced over to Sol.

"The third was the worst," Sol continued. "Gouged out eyes, mutilated genitals, severed Achilles tendons. She let him crawl away."

"Juvia managed to get a picture of him before the wolves found him," Juvia finished. "The rest are evidence of the mission's success."

Jose nodded and turned past the attacking woman only to have his jaw drop open and his eyes widen. He quickly glanced at each of the pictures and was barely able to suppress a nosebleed from the intensely erotic images he'd seen, then slammed the gory pictures back on top of them. "Please warn me next time," he muttered, blinking repeatedly and staring at the pair of mages in front of him. Picture after picture of the targets utterly naked during a seriously intense bout of sex, and rolling around in the mud, would forever be etched into Jose's memory.

"Juvia apologizes, Master," Juvia said blankly with a bow. "Juvia will be sure to give full disclosure of any possibly offending materials in the future."

_Not so much offending,_ Jose thought as he schooled his expression back into passivity. "Aside from physical proximity, do you have any other proof?" he asked.

Sol nodded and said, "Oui, look at the last three pictures."

Jose raised an eyebrow and pulled the pictures out from the bottom of the pile. There it was, exactly what he needed. A gentle smile shared between the two. A large and muscular arm wrapped around the slender waist of the woman while they laid in bed and kissed. And finally, the pair cuddled up to one another, fast asleep, with her head on his chest, his arms wrapping around her, and his nose nestled in her hair. Each of these three pictures had been taken through a gap in a curtain, and the decoration of the apartment that could be seen let him know that it wasn't the scrap heap that Gajeel called a home. _It seems I was correct,_ Jose thought. Not only had he forced Lucy to become more ingrained with the ways of his guild, but he'd also given one of his strongest members a weakness he could exploit if the Slayer ever got out of hand. Lucy was easy enough to manipulate, and she had showed him just that when she instantly adapted to his orders and corrections. Gajeel was loyal, but he was also very powerful in his own right, and Jose needed to have some sort of insurance that he could bring the man to heel if the need should ever arise. There was no point in hurting Gajeel himself if the mage ever needed to be disciplined when a pretty blonde woman could break his spirit just as easily. "Very well," Jose said as he put all of the pictures in the envelope and locked it in his desk. "You are dismissed. Be prepared to move on to the next phase by week's end. I expect all four of you to be present tomorrow for a briefing on our main targets."

Juvia and Sol bowed in silence, then walked out of the room, leaving Master Jose to his whirlwind of thoughts concerning the Celestial mage and Iron Dragon Slayer.

* * *

><p>Lucy sat in silence at the bar, lazily tracing patterns in the wood grains while she sipped on her smoothie and let her mind wander. Lucy had spent the entire previous day with Gajeel, and found it interesting that they still found ways to get under one another's skin enough to argue and throw punches. She ended up learning a lot about the usually closed-off Dragon Slayer, who had apparently decided that her reciprocating his feelings was enough for him to actually tell her more about himself. Everything from his taste in music—which wasn't surprising to find out that it was rock, or 'heavy metal' as Gajeel liked to call it—to his favorite color and food, and even a few stories of what it was like growing up with Metallicana for a father. She found out that he's horrible at poker, but a master when it came to Rummy or Black Jack, and that those large calloused hands were oddly skilled at giving back massages. Gajeel had even gone as far as being genuinely interested in Lucy's own past, chuckling when he realized that she knew about metal and elements at such a young age because of her upbringing. Her fear of him treating her differently because of her father's status was quelled in an instant when she actually admitted that it was something that worried her.<p>

_"Bunny, there's no way in hell I'll treat you like some high-class bitch with a stick up her ass if you can't even act that way. You show me one of those women that can take a hit like you can, then maybe I'll reconsider… Besides, you left that shit behind, and you're nothing like what you've told me about your dad."_

_ "So, you don't mind that I didn't tell you who my dad was?"_

_ "Why should I care? You're dad's a prick who locked his daughter up, and mine was a dragon who abandoned me. Your parents aren't the ones that make up who you are, that shit's on you to decide. You __**chose**__ to leave it all behind and make yourself who you really want to be, and that's all I see. Not your past or how much money your old man has, just the shitty attitude, loud mouth, and rocking body of the one chick that's crazy enough to love me."_

Never before had Lucy seen him being so open with her, letting her really see what he hid from everyone else under that rough exterior. Gajeel was surprisingly sweet and thoughtful when he was comfortable enough to let it out, and the fact that Lucy was able to bring out that side of him made her heart melt.

She and Gajeel had gone their separate ways the next morning—with Gajeel heading home to shower and change his clothes and Lucy heading to the guild. On her arrival, Lucy had made a beeline for the infirmary, wanting to check on Ryos and see if he needed anything since she'd forced him to stay the night at the guild to rest, and she hadn't been by the previous day. He wasn't in the bed she'd left him in, and the room seemed as though no one had even entered it two days before. Lucy remembered that Ryos had said he liked to stay hidden while he was at the guild, so she assumed he must have felt well enough to either go home or was just hiding and watching everything from wherever he was.

"Ah, Lucy. Just the woman I was looking for," Master Jose said with a wide grin while he stood behind the bored blonde at the bar.

Lucy turned around and gave Jose a sweet smile. "Good morning, Master," she said. "What can I do for you today?"

"I didn't see you in the guild yesterday," Jose said.

"Gajeel and I were going over the information I gathered," Lucy answered with a dejected sigh, leaning back against the bar on her elbows and lazily kicking her legs back and forth. "It's a good thing he's got until the end of the week to learn this stuff," she added, "We had to stop everything just so that he could kick my ass for 'sounding like a smart ass'… Not actually being one, just _sounding_ like one." It was actually true that she and Gajeel had taken time away from all of their cuddling and getting to know one another when Lucy had insisted that he focused on what Master had assigned them to do. It didn't last very long before Gajeel gave up on looking at the blueprints of the Fairies' guild, throwing the paper onto the floor and pinning Lucy to the bed, but they did get into an argument at one point about her sounding like a smart ass.

"I see," Jose said with a chuckle, noting the slight bruising and faint scratches on Lucy's waist, a small dragon shaped piercing through her belly button that hadn't been there when she had returned from her mission two days prior, and a barely concealed bite wound just peeking out of the collar of her shirt. "Do I need to have a talk with him about this?" he asked. _It seems that they are definitely close if she allowed him to pierce her,_ he thought smugly, _And with a dragon, no less._

Lucy raised an eyebrow at Jose and then waved off his concerns with a light laugh. "Thank you for your concern, Master Jose, but I can handle myself. There's nothing that Gajeel can do that I can't deal with on my own. That's why I was gone for so long, remember?"

"This is true," Jose said with a sickly sweet smile. It was true, Jose had sent Gajeel and Lucy away for a month so they would hopefully become a weakness for one another, and to increase the young blonde's own power to further Jose's goals. His plan was falling into place perfectly, and all he needed was her cooperation to begin the secondary plan he'd set up once she had joined the guild. Then again, he had decided to wait until after the Fairies had been dealt with; which brought him back to his original reason for coming to speak with her. "Because you were not here yesterday, I was unable to give you time to prepare," he said while he turned to face the rest of the guild and look for Gajeel.

"Prepare for what?" Lucy asked, tilting her head to the side and keeping her eyes trained on the guild master.

"I need you to brief our S-Class mages on what you have found," Jose said as he turned back to Lucy. "The guild hall will be Gajeel's focus for his mission, but the information on their members is invaluable and they should all be privy to that knowledge for what's coming."

Lucy nodded with another sweet smile. "Of course, Master Jose. When would you like me to meet with them?"

"As soon as Gajeel gets here, meet me in my office," Jose said. "He seems to be running later than usual today."

Lucy snorted and rolled her eyes while she turned back to her smoothie on the bar. "Lazy bastard probably isn't even out of bed yet," she grumbled, knowing full well how long it took to get from her place to his. He would most likely be in the guild within the next twenty minutes, even if he decided to take his time in the shower, so Lucy wasn't too worried about having to wait too long. "I'll let him know when he gets here, Master," she said with one last smile at Jose before he nodded and walked back up the stairs.

Five minutes went by in complete silence for Lucy until she noticed a presence to her right. She glanced over and smiled when she saw that Ryos had decided to come sit next to her. "Morning, Ryos," she said happily, "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," Ryos answered. He looked over at Lucy and gave her a small smile in return, and when the newer bite mark that was peeking out from under her shirt caught his eye he asked, "Did you work everything out?"

Lucy nodded and leaned her head on her hand. "Yeah, it's all better now. We talked it out yesterday. Just a bunch of misunderstandings that we were trying to ignore, I guess."

"That's good," Ryos said happily. "I was worried when I didn't see you yesterday, but I figured you were going to have that talk and I didn't know how long it could take…"

Lucy frowned and reached over to lightly squeeze Ryos' hand. "I didn't mean to make you worry, you know," she said softly. When Ryos gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand right back, she sighed happily and said, "I've got a meeting with Master when Gajeel gets here, but maybe we can go out later on and get something sweet. What do you say?"

Ryos' eyes widened slightly and he quickly nodded his agreement. "Of course," he said excitedly.

Lucy giggled and looked at the time, then motioned for Tom to come over. "Have you had breakfast yet?" she asked Ryos.

He visibly flinched and slowly shook his head, casting his eyes down at the bar top instead of seeing the flash of concern in Lucy's gaze.

Lucy frowned and ordered breakfast from Tom for both herself and Ryos, then turned to look at the boy while the barkeep walked off. "Ryos," she whispered, squeezing his hand again when he didn't look at her, "It's almost eleven in the morning. Why didn't you eat yet?"

"I forgot," Ryos muttered as he slowly pulled his hand away from Lucy's comforting grasp.

"You know what I told you about lying," Lucy said firmly. When Ryos sighed and nodded, she leaned over and brushed his hair from his eyes. "You can talk to me about anything, you know that right?"

Ryos nodded again.

"So why didn't you eat? You need to keep your strength up to heal faster."

"Can I talk to you about it after your meeting with Master?" Ryos whispered, wrapping his arms around his midsection while he glanced up at Lucy. "I don't want you to have to go while…"

Lucy smiled warmly at him and nodded. "Not a problem," she said, "If I'm not back out in time for you to have lunch, you just let Tom know what you want okay? I'll have him put it on my tab and pay it when I'm done."

Ryos' head shot up to look at Lucy in shock. He hadn't told her the real reason that he hadn't eaten, but the look in her eyes seemed to say that she already knew it was because he didn't have a way to feed himself. Ryos never took on any missions since he still thought he was too weak to handle them, so he found a way to get by as best as he could with whatever he was able to find.

"You can tell me all about it later on," Lucy said gently, "I want you to have my full attention, without any interruptions, and we'll figure something out."

"You…" Ryos whispered with wide eyes.

Just as Tom was walking out of the kitchen with their meals, Lucy grabbed Ryos' hand and pulled him from his stool to stand between her legs—thankful that she'd decided to wear jeans that day. "Friends take care of each other, Ryos," Lucy whispered while she wrapped her arms around him, not caring in the slightest that they were in the middle of the guild with everyone watching. She smiled when she felt his slender arms tentatively wrapping around her bare waist and lightly squeezed him with a sigh. "Now, let's have some breakfast before—"

The guild doors slammed open to reveal a scowling Iron Dragon Slayer whose gaze instantly landed on Lucy and Ryos hugging at the bar. He narrowed his eyes slightly and growled before intentionally looking away and striding over to his own table to start eating some metal. He didn't like how close the boy was to Lucy, even if it was obvious that it was strictly platonic for both parties, but Gajeel couldn't let it slip that it was something he was annoyed by. Not while he was at the guild. Lucy had made it very clear to him the day before just how lonely her childhood was after her mom had died, and the fact that she had befriended someone—regardless of his age—had left Lucy feeling absolutely giddy. He couldn't take that away from her.

Lucy sighed and gave Ryos an apologetic smile while he sat back down on his stool. "Looks like our breakfast together is getting cut short," she grumbled. "I'm serious though. You tell Tom when you're ready for lunch if I'm not done up there. Okay?"

Ryos nodded and quickly swallowed the bite of food he'd taken, loving how delicious it was to eat something warm and freshly cooked for a change. "Okay," he said with a small quirk of his lips. "You'd better eat fast though. Gajeel's already started in on his metal."

Lucy sighed again, then scarfed down her meal and the rest of her smoothie. She paid Tom for her and Ryos' meals, then told him to put the boy's lunch on her tab, and assured him that she would settle it once she was done with her meeting with Master Jose. Once Lucy was on her feet, she gave Ryos a quick peck on the top of his head, then walked over to Gajeel's table and waited for him to acknowledge her presence.

Gajeel rolled his eyes and gave the feisty little blonde a single raised brow while he kept eating.

"Master said to meet him in his office," Lucy said when Gajeel swallowed the metal in his mouth. "Me, you, and the rest of the S-Class."

Gajeel picked up another piece of metal and popped it into his mouth, only to glare and growl at Lucy when her hands shot out to hold his jaw shut. "What do you want?" he growled between clenched teeth.

"We're waiting for you, asshat," Lucy said. "He said once you got here, we could get started. So come on."

"I'm eating," Gajeel said as he smacked her hands away from his head with another glare.

"Yeah, well I just scarfed down my food in less than a minute, so you can just suck it up." Lucy huffed and rolled her eyes as she spun on her heel and made her way towards the stairs.

With a groan, Gajeel popped one last piece of metal into his mouth and stalked after Lucy, catching up to her at the base of the stairs. "How's the brat doing?" he whispered.

Lucy smirked and glanced up at Gajeel for a moment. "He says he's better, but he's not eating. I'm taking him out after the meeting to go to a bakery."

"Which one?"

"Death By Chocolate," Lucy answered. "When I was talking with Erza Scarlet, she mentioned that they're the best in Fiore."

Gajeel chuckled and shook his head. "You know, that's the one that I smelled the icing in," he whispered. "I might have to stop in there and pick up a batch…"

"Yeah," Lucy shot back, "Then you can smell me any time, creeper."

"I'm curious to see if it tastes as good as you do." Gajeel had to stifle his laughter when a light blush crossed Lucy's cheeks, but he wasn't expecting her to say what came out of her next.

"Maybe if you get some, you could do a side-by-side comparison," she said with a wink.

"Bunny," Gajeel said softly, glancing to either side of them down the hall to make sure no one was near enough to hear him. "Please don't make me go in there with a hard-on. You have no clue how hard it was to let you leave your place this morning."

Lucy smiled softly up at Gajeel and nodded. "Fine, I'll be nice." They turned and walked the last few steps to Jose's office, then she said, "I fully support you getting some of it though. Then we can test it out at your place tonight."

"Fucking hell," Gajeel groaned. "You're gonna be the death of me, you know that?"

Lucy giggled and nodded. "I know, Gajeel," she whispered, her words barely more than a breath and just loud enough for him to hear her, "But you still love me."

"Damn right, I do," Gajeel answered with a smirk. He knocked sharply on the door and as soon as he heard Jose's voice, he opened it and strode inside with Lucy sighing behind him and rolling her eyes in annoyance at his lack of chivalry. _Hey, she's perfectly capable of opening a door on her own,_ he thought while he made his way to stand next to the Element Four in front of Jose's desk. _Besides, it would be suspicious if I held the door for her anyway._

* * *

><p><strong>Cliffhanger of sorts! So, what did you guys think? I really hope you liked this chapter. Since I've gotten so many positive reviews about the post-bite interactions with Gajeel and Lucy, I figured I'd give you guys a little more. Also, AWWWWW They're in wuv! Things are gonna start getting interesting for our couple, so stay tuned!<strong>

**Review, Follow, Favorite! I love you guys!~~GemNika, Citric Chancellor of The Crack Fiction Liberation Army.**

**(To my CFLA ladies, I love you so so much. Nana and Lady are absolute angels for reading through my drafts, and I'm glad you liked the changes I made.)**


	10. Time to Learn

**A/N: No note. Read on!  
><strong>

**(Don't own FT!)**

* * *

><p>"<em>Fucking hell," Gajeel groaned. "You're gonna be the death of me, you know that?"<em>

_Lucy giggled and nodded. "I know, Gajeel," she whispered, her words barely more than a breath and just loud enough for him to hear her, "But you still love me."_

"_Damn right, I do," Gajeel answered with a smirk. He knocked sharply on the door and as soon as he heard Jose's voice, he opened it and strode inside with Lucy sighing behind him and rolling her eyes in annoyance at his lack of chivalry. 'Hey, she's perfectly capable of opening a door on her own,' he thought while he made his way to stand next to the Element Four in front of Jose's desk. 'Besides, it would be suspicious if I held the door for her anyway.'_

~.~

Lucy glared at the retreating form of Gajeel's well-muscled back as he went to stand on the right of the Element Four in front of Jose's desk. Not wanting to draw any attention to her willingness to be close to the Iron Slayer, Lucy walked off to the far left to stand next to the beautiful blue-haired woman she saw from time to time in the guild, Juvia Lockser. She didn't spare a glance at any of her companions, instead only giving Master Jose the same sweet smile that she always greeted him with and staying silent until he granted her permission to speak.

Jose looked at the six mages in front of him, silently eying each of them while they stood stock-still in his presence and awaited his orders. On his far left was Gajeel with his usual scowl firmly in place, and any marks that Lucy may have left on him to match the ones that Jose knew he gave her were hidden by the black metal-edged tunic he wore with a feathered fringe on one sleeve. Next was Aria, wearing his standard green hat and trenchcoat with his blindfold in place to limit his use of his magic. Then Sol, standing with a small smirk while he twirled his dark green moustache in silent amusement over the presence of both Gajeel and Lucy. Totomaru, with his two-toned hair and odd red boa-lined shirt stood oddly still after chancing a small glance at Lucy. Juvia held the same blank expression that she always did, and stared at the wall instead of meeting Jose's gaze. And finally, there was little Lucy Heartfilia, smiling at Jose the same way she always did once their eyes met, wearing just a little more clothing that she normally did—in a cut-off t-shirt that still bared her stomach and a pair of jeans—though the marks from Gajeel were still visible if you knew where to look. "Lucy," Jose said finally, "Please have your spirit bring the information here for the briefing."

Lucy bowed her head slightly and took a step forward and slightly away from Juvia's side while she singled out Virgo's key. "Of course, Master," she answered just before summoning her spirit. "Would you like Virgo to make copies of the information for everyone present?"

Jose raised an intrigued eyebrow at her, then shook his head. "There will be no need for that," he said, "The fewer individuals that have access to this information, the better."

"Punishment, Princess?" Virgo asked once she appeared in a low bow, standing to her full height to look at Lucy who smiled lovingly at her and shook her head.

"Not today, Virgo," Lucy giggled. "Could you please bring all of the information from my mission here? I would have done it myself, but I only just found out it was needed."

"Of course, Princess. I will return shortly."

Totomaru couldn't keep his eyes off of the blonde in the room. The light tinkling laughter he'd heard from her was so at odds with the woman he'd witnessed bashing skulls in the main guild hall the few times he had seen her, but what really caught his attention was her body. She had the perfect figure, and it made his mouth water just looking at her.

Lucy bowed to Jose again and took a step back in line with the rest of the mages present before saying, "It shouldn't be too long, Master. Everything was unpacked for Gajeel's briefing, but Virgo works very quickly. Five minutes at most."

Jose nodded, then turned his attention to his S-Class mages. "As you know, we will be sending Gajeel out on a mission at the end of the week to launch an attack on Fairy Tail. Lucy's most recent mission was to scout out the guild hall and find key weaknesses in the structure so that our point will be well made. Luckily, she was also able to glean a plethora of information about each of the—"

"The information as requested, Princess," Virgo said with another deep bow as she appeared with the three boxes and rolls of blueprints at her side. She stood from her bow, noticing that Lucy said nothing, and went to stand to her left while Jose finished speaking. "My apologies for the interruption."

Jose nodded and continued as if he'd never stopped speaking. "—Guild members as well. This is what you are all here for today."

"What do you mean, exactly?" Totomaru asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Lucy will be running the meeting today and teaching you five about our enemies for what is to come," Jose answered. "Lucy, I will leave the rest to you. You have until the end of today."

Lucy bowed again with a small smile, then turned to Virgo and gave her a list of what she would need to start the presentation that she would have to make up on the fly. Once Virgo disappeared again, Lucy sighed and said, "Well, might as well get comfortable. This shit's gonna take a while."

Sol blinked repeatedly with his mouth hanging open at the crude language she had used. Each of the Element Four had been given explicit instructions to steer clear of Lucy Heartfilia until this point, as Jose didn't want any of them to have any sort of connection with her, lest it foil his plan to bring Gajeel's weakness to the forefront. Because of that fact, Sol and the rest of the S-Class mages weren't used to hearing just how she talked or handled herself aside from seeing her arguing or fighting with Gajeel. Sol had assumed that based on her lineage, the young woman would have a much more subdued demeanor, especially in front of their guild master. "E-Excusez-moi?" he stuttered.

Lucy turned and faced the green-haired mage, then lifted her eyebrow. "Did you not understand me?" she asked slowly. "Here… Let's try it this way: Eh bien, vous pourriez aussi bien vous installer confortablement. Cette merde va prendre un certain temps."

Sol, along with everyone else in the room, gaped at Lucy as she instantly switched languages and spoke as if it was her native tongue. "U-Uh…" Sol stuttered with wide eyes.

Lucy sighed and strode over to the utterly perplexed Earth mage. "Sol, right?" she asked with feigned sweetness. When he nodded slowly, Lucy rolled her eyes and quickly cocked her hand back to land a solid hit on his jaw, knocking him to the floor. "There," she said, wiping her hands of imaginary dust, "Now you're comfortable."

"What the hell?" Totomaru whispered as he took a seat in a nearby armchair. Not only had the weak little blonde pulled out a potty mouth that was as bad as the Slayer in the room, but she'd gone and done it in another language, then decked one of the guild's most dexterous mages. A quick glance at Jose told him that this wasn't something he would interfere with, since he seemed to be highly amused by the blonde's antics. He watched Sol get up from the floor and make his way over to a chair, shakily sitting down and still completely stunned from what had just happened. Juvia and Aria both seemed undisturbed by the turn of events and took a seat, and Gajeel leaned against a far wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

Lucy rolled her eyes at the five mages in the room, then turned around and knelt on the floor to start pulling the files from the boxes. She was completely unaware of the male eyes immediately being drawn to her backside while she wriggled around and created pile after pile in her own form of organization as Virgo reappeared with everything she needed. After silently commandeering Master Jose's desk to move the files from the floor, Lucy turned to see Virgo setting up a projector on the far wall.

"Princess," Virgo said once she was finished, "Hold this lacrima over the images you would like projected, and it will stream a video onto the wall." She handed Lucy the small orb and bowed once more before she disappeared until it was time to collect all of the materials later on.

Lucy took a deep breath, feeling slightly anxious as the six most powerful mages in the guild stared at her and waited for her to begin. Her nerves tried to get the best of her, and she could see both Jose and Gajeel raising a questioning eyebrow at her while she tried to decide where to start. _Lucy, remember: when you're in a business meeting you can't show your fear. You have to stand tall and proud so everyone sees you as the leader._ Her father's words echoed in her mind from a lesson about what she would have to do in case her future husband fell ill. She pulled on every bit of the training she had received while growing up, realizing at the last moment that she had unconsciously slipped back into the role of the young heiress as her posture straightened and her chin lifted a fraction higher than normal. Lucy looked at each of the mages and saw that Jose was slightly impressed and Gajeel was surprised and probably a little creeped out when she started to speak. "As Master Jose has informed you, my mission was to find key weaknesses in Fairy Tail's guild hall…"

Gajeel felt like he'd fallen into some weird other dimension while Lucy spoke. He'd smelled how nervous she got once Virgo had left, saw the tension radiating from her while she organized what she needed to. Then, all of a sudden, it was gone. When she turned to face everyone, her face was completely devoid of emotion aside from a forced small upturn in the corners of her mouth that made each enunciated syllable sound authoritative, yet still sweet and innocent. _This is what she was like before she ran away,_ he realized as she started pointing out the key weaknesses in a brief overview of the blueprints so each of the S-Class mages and Master Jose had the same knowledge. Lucy was perfectly poised, her arms delicate and graceful with each motion she made. She was in complete control of the entire room, each of the six mages hanging on every word that passed her lips even though the topic wasn't interesting in the slightest.

"Question," Totomaru said loudly. "If this is Gajeel's mission, then why are you showing it to us?"

"Several reasons, Totomaru," Lucy said. "All of which I will explain to you later on once I have finished. Do not interrupt me again." She turned to continue with her assessment of the guild, dismissing the glare he shot her way and the way Jose seemed to smirk at how she handled herself.

"Why don't you answer me now?" Totomaru asked.

Lucy studiously ignored the Fire mage and continued on with her lecture, refusing to let her anger get the better of her in this situation.

"Come on, Blondie. Just answer the—"

"If I hear one more word out of you," Lucy said sweetly as she turned and gave him a smile that sent a shiver down everyone's spines, "I'm going to string you up by your nuts, skin you with steel wool, and then dip you into a tub filled with lye until you're nothing more than a gelatinous mass of whimpering flesh. Am I making myself clear? Good."

Gajeel smirked when he saw the Fire mage pale and shiver, but the guy was kind of an idiot sometimes. No matter how good he was in a fight when it came to sniffing out disadvantages for himself or his opponent, Totomaru didn't exactly have the most tact in a conversation. Deciding to spare the guy some serious pain later on, and a headache for Gajeel himself when he had to hear Lucy bitching about it afterwards, Gajeel leaned down while Lucy was grabbing Fairy Tail's S-Class mage files and setting them up. "I suggest you listen to her just this once."

Totomaru raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to say something before glancing at Lucy.

Gajeel grinned, showing all of his pointed teeth, and nodded. "She keeps good on her threats, and she's actually got the skill to back up her shitty attitude."

"Gajeel is correct," Juvia whispered while keeping her eyes trained on the blonde that was scanning over the notes written in the files. "She could easily become S-Class with the skill and power she possesses. She is more ruthless when it comes to a fight than even Gajeel."

"Tch," Gajeel snorted, "I don't know about all that."

"The first two mages," Lucy began, ignoring the conversation that was happening while she got everything set up, "Are Gildarts Clive and Mystogan. Not much information is known about either mage, and it is said that they spend only enough time in the guild itself to get another mission before leaving. Gildarts is alleged to be away on a 100-year mission, and if that is truly the case, then the lack of knowledge on his abilities and power levels will not hinder Master's endeavor." She spent the next few hours going over the rest of Fairy Tail's mages, explaining their strengths and weaknesses, pieces of information about their pasts that could be exploited or used to manipulate them—something Sol seemed extremely intrigued by—and how strong an average magic user of that type would be in comparison to Lucy herself. Once she was finished, Lucy nodded to Master Jose, then turned to the group that had stayed completely silent through the rest of her lecture. "Questions?" she asked.

Totomaru raised an eyebrow at her, then sighed. "Care to answer mine now?"

Lucy nodded shortly, then said, "In the highly unlikely event that Gajeel fails his mission to destroy the Fairy Tail guild hall—which is the only plausible explanation for wanting to know key weaknesses in the infrastructure—then it stands to reason one of the guild's strongest mages would be sent in his stead to complete the assignment while his failure is handled." She paused when Gajeel growled at her in annoyance. "Another reason for showing you information that really only pertains to one person's mission is because there is no telling where you may end up in a fight. Should you be in Magnolia after the attack is launched, then knowing where other weaknesses of the building are at, and how they will affect the structure itself, could prove wholly beneficial. A third reason is that in understanding how the enemy constructs a safehouse, you are able to also understand how their mind works. Where they view weak points, and where they miscalculate, can all become a turning point in a battle. Are those sufficient enough reasons, Totomaru?"

"Yeah," Totomaru grumbled petulantly, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the ground.

"You said there are two truly active S-Class mages that could be an issue?" Juvia asked.

"Yes, Erza Scarlet and Laxus Dreyar," Lucy answered. "Erza appears to be in the guild or around Magnolia often, but Laxus and the Raijinshuu weren't in the area while I was there."

"So it's a possibility that they only have one S-Class mage available," Sol said with a grin.

"Exactly. However, there are several contenders for previous S-Class promotions that have power equal to or greater than my own," Lucy said with a nod. "Freed Justine, Cana Alberona, Natsu Dragneel, Elfman Strauss, and Gray Fullbuster."

"Well, how do we know how powerful they are?" Totomaru asked with a grin. "You could be a little weakling in comparison to us, and if that's the case then we'll wipe the floor with them."

"I would not underestimate Lucy's power, Totomaru," Jose interjected with a smirk. "Celestial mages tend to be much more powerful than most people realize."

"How so, Master?"

"Because when I summon a spirit, I'm opening a link to another world entirely," Lucy answered while she started putting everything back in the appropriate boxes. "Any spirit that enters our world from my opening their gate then feeds off of my magic to stay here. Any magic that they use, along with any energy they consume for even a physical attack or to defend themselves, is drained from my own magic. The stronger the Celestial mage, the stronger the spirit themselves while summoned." Lucy brushed a hand over Horologium's key and internally winced when she realized it was almost five o'clock. "Where would you like the information stored, Master?"

"Somewhere that is unreachable by any others," Jose said with a frown. "I don't want anyone getting their hands on this information—it's far too useful."

Lucy grinned and nodded before calling Virgo back and asking her to store everything in the Spirit World. "No one can get to it there, Master Jose."

"Very well," Jose said. "Gajeel, I will meet with you in a few days for your full mission briefing. Until then, continue studying the blueprints."

Gajeel nodded.

"You are all dismissed."

Lucy bowed her head slightly, then turned and strode out of the office and down the stairs. Ryos was nowhere to be seen, but she knew he'd show up eventually. Once Lucy took her seat at the bar, Tom came by and she quickly settled the bill—which was honestly far too low for Ryos to have eaten properly—then ordered herself another smoothie and a little snack until it the boy showed up.

* * *

><p>Lucy sighed and slowly got up from her barstool, giving the now empty guild one last glance before she walked out into the street with Tom on her heels as he locked up the doors. <em>Five hours,<em> she thought while she wandered through the empty streets towards Gajeel's apartment. Lucy had sat at the bar for five hours while she waited for Ryos to show up, and he never came. After talking with Tom, Lucy found out that the boy had only timidly gotten a sandwich to eat after Tom had forced him to order something. It seems that even though the barkeep wasn't the smartest guy out there, he still had enough brain cells to know that Ryos not eating anything would have Lucy on his ass.

Ryos had seemed genuinely excited to go out to the bakery after her meeting was finished, so Lucy just couldn't understand why he wouldn't show up. From what Tom told her, Ryos had stayed in the same spot she'd left him for hours while she was upstairs, and ate his lunch only thirty minutes before she came down to find him missing. With a heavy sigh, feeling slightly dejected at the prospect of a lack of sweets with her new friend, Lucy finally crossed the imaginary line between the nicer part of town and the area Gajeel called a home. She absently kicked at the empty bottles lying in her path, watching them roll away from her and sometimes falling down towards the street. It took everything in her to block out the disgusting smell that surrounded the area, and Lucy honestly wondered how and why Gajeel even lived on this side of town. She knew how much S-Class missions could pay out, and he didn't seem to spend much time at his place to begin with, but there were plenty of apartments on the nicer side of town that were just as cheap as the rent he paid here.

The distinct crunch of broken glass pulled Lucy from her whirling thoughts, and she looked up to see what appeared to be a homeless man wobbling a few feet in front of her. Lucy did her best to ignore him, looking up to see that she was nearly in front of the creaky door that led to Gajeel's apartment building, and sidestepped the guy with dexterity she'd gained from her training. She forced herself to stay calm, even though the mere thought of being alone in this part of town had the hairs on the back of her neck standing at attention. Lucy knew she could take care of herself, and that wasn't the issue—it was the sliver of fear that her nightmare from the mountains would manifest somehow, that she would be defenseless. She rushed up the stairs two at a time once she was past the front door, and tried to slow her pounding heart when she came to the third floor.

Gajeel frowned when he heard the pounding heartbeat sounding from the hallway and his nose instantly honed in on the sweet scent of the woman he'd been waiting for. He straightened his arms once more, then dropped his feet to the ground from the handstand he'd been doing—having decided earlier that week that he would change up how he'd been doing pushups—and walked over to his front door.

Lucy giggled at the stunned expression on Gajeel's face when she opened the door and walked right in, closing it behind her. He was only a few feet away, so she knew that he'd been ready to answer the door. "Why are you all sweaty?" she asked with amusement and lust dancing in her eyes as she took in his glistening skin. Her eyes roved over him, from the piercings in his hips that just barely peaked out of the top of his pants, up his deliciously bare abs and chest, and landed on his face. She saw him openly eying her curves, but Lucy was distracted by the fact that Gajeel's hair was actually pulled back and away from his face into a ponytail.

"Exercising," Gajeel answered automatically while he closed the distance between them and pinned Lucy to the door. He grinned darkly at her when her breathing stuttered and she reflexively swallowed at his proximity, then leaned down and captured her lips. His hands slid down her arms until his fingers laced with hers, then Gajeel carefully wrapped them behind his neck. He felt more than heard Lucy giggle slightly into the kiss, and he couldn't help but smirk while he bent down and hooked his hands around her thighs.

Lucy's lips moved slowly over Gajeel's, her tongue lazily swooping into his mouth to brush along his for only a moment before retreating. Once her feet left the ground, with Gajeel pushing her higher on the door, Lucy wrapped her legs around his hips. Her fingers danced along the sweat-slicked muscles in his back and shoulders, and Lucy moved one hand up to play with the ends of his ponytail. She carefully pulled the elastic band from his hair, rolling it over her own wrist for the time being, and sighed contentedly once the silky strands splayed over her fingers. It was surprising that Gajeel's hands hadn't started gliding over her once her legs wrapped around him, and that their kiss hadn't become intense and filled with unbridled passion like it usually did, but Lucy didn't dwell on what could possibly have made him decide to move slowly with her all of a sudden. She always enjoyed the times that Gajeel took it easy, especially since more often than not they were naked and she was screaming his name in a matter of minutes.

Gajeel's hands lightly massaged Lucy's legs, slowly sliding up to her hips so he could feel her silky skin beneath his fingers. After the meeting in Master Jose's office, Gajeel had almost immediately left the guild to get a little air and wait until Lucy was finished with her day with Ryos so he could see her again. It was strange to see her acting like the exact opposite of who she was while she was talking during that meeting, and Gajeel knew then that he would rather be skinned alive that have to see her like that. Regardless of how aggravating and infuriating Lucy was with her loud mouth and outspoken attitude, Gajeel preferred that to the coy and subdued version of her. He loved the way she challenged him constantly, how she didn't back down when he was being a dick, and definitely how the same loud mouth that annoyed him could throw out such vivid and terrifying threats with ease. Part of him felt like an absolute pansy for missing her after a few hours, and tried to tell him to pick it the hell up and ravage the busty blonde. Gajeel ignored it, deciding that he would much rather take his sweet time with her, and was rewarded when she moaned lightly and started pressing soft kisses down to his chin and across his jaw.

"Well, 'hi' to you too, handsome," Lucy whispered with a smile before lightly nibbling on Gajeel's ear. "Miss me?"

Gajeel chuckled and nestled his nose in the crook of her neck when she pulled away. "Always," Gajeel whispered before he pulled back slightly, and pushed his eyebrows together in confusion. "You don't smell like the brat, Bunny. I thought you guys were going out."

Lucy sighed and laid her head on Gajeel's shoulder, not caring in the slightest just how sweaty he was. She took in deep pulls of his spicy, metallic scent while her nose brushed over one of his bite marks. "He never showed," she mumbled. "I waited at the guild until it closed, then came over here since the bakery's already closed anyway. I have no idea where he disappeared to."

Gajeel frowned while he pulled away from the door and carried the petite blonde over to his bed, sitting himself down and keeping her settled on his lap. His hands gently held onto her hips, and he nestled his nose in her hair. "Why do you think he didn't show up?"

Lucy shrugged. "Tom said that he ate about half an hour before we finished the meeting, but he didn't see Ryos leave. He was just… there one minute, and gone the next."

"Bunny, he's a _Shadow_ Dragon Slayer," Gajeel said softly. "He hides constantly. He was probably at the guild the whole time."

"Then why didn't he come get me?" Lucy asked.

"Who knows?" Gajeel mumbled. He frowned again when he felt how tense Lucy was and sighed while his hands slid up and down her back, pushing under her shirt only so he could feel her bare skin. "What's got you all worked up over it, Bunny?"

"I'm worried about him," Lucy whispered as she pulled back to look into Gajeel's eyes. "I'm pretty sure he's not taking proper care of himself because he doesn't know how to get by on his own."

"If his dragon died when he was five, he's got a few years of practice," Gajeel answered. "Besides, foraging is something he should have learned—"

"But he was still so little when it happened," Lucy countered. "There's only so much information you can retain at that young of an age." Lucy frowned and pushed her eyebrows together, then looked at Gajeel for a moment.

"What?"

"What happens when you don't eat your element?" she asked.

"I told you… You don't wanna know, Bunny Girl," Gajeel answered gruffly.

"Tell me. What if he's not eating properly _at all_?"

Gajeel sighed and shook his head. "If I didn't eat metal at least once every couple days, I would start feeling sick. Migraines, fatigue, nausea, and probably some other stuff. Dragon Slayers have high metabolisms, which is why we're able to pack away so much food—it ends up going into feeding our magic somehow. That's why we eat our element to begin with; it feeds our magic in a way that normal food can't. Just eating normal food can't sustain our magic, but it can at least sustain our bodies for a bit longer. Because we're humans that had dragon magic transferred to us, we have to eat that element; Metallicana didn't _need_ to eat metal, he just liked to. After about a week of no metal, my body would try to absorb as much as it possibly could to feed into my magic by eating away at any muscles and fat it found. Then organs. You get the idea."

"How long can you survive without it?" Lucy asked.

"Around two weeks or so, _my_ body specifically would start pulling metal from my blood to try and keep my magic going, but it would kill me. I don't know about other Slayers on that part though. My magic would try and force me to find metal somewhere so that I wouldn't die, and if there was anything that I could eat then I wouldn't be able to stop myself from doing it." Gajeel paused and said, "You think he's not eating _anything_?"

Lucy shrugged again and said, "Maybe he doesn't really know how. I mean, he would have to eat shadows, right?"

"I guess."

"Well, I don't know how he would go about doing something like that, but if he's not then… Maybe that's why he wants your help… What if he only eats his element when his body forces him to do it, and he doesn't know how to really do it on his own to stay healthy?"

"Damnit, Bunny," Gajeel grumbled, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close while he nestled his nose in her hair. "I said I'll train him, y'know."

"I know," Lucy whispered with a sigh, "But you said in a couple weeks… He really needs your help, Gajeel."

"We don't even know if that's what wrong though," Gajeel answered. He frowned when he smelled the faintest hints of salt, and said, "Hey… Don't cry, Bunny…"

Lucy sniffled and shook her head, tightening her grip around Gajeel. "I'm not crying," she said with another sniffle, sounding horribly unconvincing even to herself.

"Then what do you call that?" Gajeel asked pointedly.

"I'm working on a new irrigation system for my eyeballs," Lucy answered with another sniffle and a pathetic little laugh.

"That's fucking disgusting," Gajeel chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm still working out the kinks…" Lucy couldn't help the small smile that crossed her face when Gajeel ended up openly laughing at her sad attempt at humor, and found herself laughing right along with him.

"I'll find him tomorrow and talk to him about it, alright?" Gajeel asked softly after their laughter had died down. "It'll just be me and him talking, just in case there's something that you're not allowed to hear about our magic."

"Why are you so secretive about it, anyway?" Lucy asked, pulling back to wipe away the tear stains from her cheeks.

"It's a Lost Magic," Gajeel said. "Tons of people want to know about it, and there are a lot of things that Metallicana told me couldn't be repeated to anyone except for another Slayer. I don't know why there are so many secrets about it, since they don't seem all that important to me in the grand scheme of things, but I told him I wouldn't let those secrets out."

Lucy nodded and smiled at Gajeel. "Okay, I get it," she said with a shrug.

"Seriously?"

"Sure," Lucy giggled, "You made a promise to your dad, and you won't go back on it. I understand completely. If you'd told me that to begin with, I probably wouldn't have been so bitchy about it."

Gajeel rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You couldn't have said that before, Bunny Girl?" he grumbled. "I'm serious though. I'll talk to him. I won't be able to start actually training him if he's not taking care of himself, otherwise he'll be too weak to do anything aside from breathe."

"You'll let me know what's going on, right?" Lucy asked softly. "He said he was going to talk to me about why he wasn't eating while we were out. Maybe he just didn't want to tell me about it."

"If it's something I can tell you, then yeah. I'll let you know," Gajeel said, placing a soft kiss on Lucy's cheek.

Lucy smiled and nestled her nose in the crook of Gajeel's neck, sighing happily with the knowledge that he was willing to help Ryos. "Thanks, Gajeel."

Gajeel smirked and moved so that Lucy was sitting on the bed while he stood up. "Don't thank me yet," he said. "I've got something for you."

"Did you seriously get fucking icing?" Lucy asked with wide eyes, unsure of whether she should feel excited or concerned, as Gajeel winked and walked off into the kitchen.

Gajeel laughed and shook his head, then opened a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out the small gift he'd been planning on giving Lucy for a while now. "No, but I'm planning on it."

Lucy opened and closed her mouth several times, then blinked again and again. "… Are you serious?" she asked. "I can't tell if you're fucking with me right now…"

Gajeel grinned deviously at her and said, "I'm serious, Bunny. You got that damn idea stuck in my head, and now I'm curious to find out just how much you taste like icing. It's gonna be _delicious_." He palmed the gift, closing his fingers over it so Lucy wouldn't be able to see what he was holding, then walked back over to the bed. "So, I want to give you something… But, I don't want you to get all shitty about it," he said teasingly, throwing Lucy's own words back at her from the night she'd given him the constellation book.

Lucy rolled her eyes and smiled. "I won't get all shitty about it. That's your job."

"Close your eyes," Gajeel said softly while he moved to sit behind her with a leg on either side of her petite body. Once Lucy told him that her eyes were closed, Gajeel opened his hand and nervously bit his lower lip while he carefully placed the necklace around her neck and clasped it, pulling her hair up after he'd finished so it wasn't stuck under the chain. "Take a look, Bunny," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back towards his chest.

Lucy smiled and looked down, then carefully examined the present Gajeel had given her. The chain itself was remarkably thin and delicate in appearance—but once she touched it, Lucy realized it was actually Gajeel's iron that was carefully crafted into small, molded links—and was long enough so the pendant attached to it would be able to easily hide between her breasts. She picked up the pendant and gasped when she realized just what it was. The barghest tooth that she had ripped out of her arm while on that mission with Gajeel had a metallic plating covering the top portion where it had broken off of the monster, and a small hoop that allowed the chain to run freely through it. There were three thin lines of metal running down from the top of the tooth to the end of it, creating a slightly sharper point and encasing it protectively. "How did you…" she whispered with a soft smile.

Gajeel chuckled and lightly squeezed Lucy's waist, nuzzling her hair while he said, "Dragons tend to hoard things, Bunny. I picked it up before we went back to town."

Lucy lightly traced the metal that ran along the tooth and asked, "Why?" That single word asked so many different questions that ran through her mind. Why was he giving this to her? Why had he picked it up in the first place? Why now and not before?

"You'll need to be a little more specific," Gajeel answered.

Lucy blushed and decided to work her way up to the more daunting questions. "Why did you put metal on it?" she asked innocently.

"So it doesn't break when you're in a fight, plus it's a pretty effective weapon if you need it to be—you proved that much already. Now it just has a little more stopping power."

"Why did you pick it up?"

Gajeel blushed, and was silently thankful that she wasn't facing him to see the deep red flush across his cheeks. "I'm not sure," he answered honestly. "It's not often you get a trophy like that from a kill, even though it was your kill and not mine, and you don't usually come across someone that uses a monster's own fucking _teeth_ against them." He paused and chuckled along with her light laughter, watching as she continued running a finger over the tooth as if she was memorizing every detail. "I guess I wanted to make sure you had a trophy from your first S-Class mission."

"So why now and not that day?" Lucy asked.

Gajeel's blush deepened as he said, "Well, I forgot about it at first with everything that happened with the mayor and then at the hotel. Then later on, I didn't want to let it go. Eventually, I couldn't decide when to give it to you, and after you gave me that book I knew that I wanted to fix it up so that you could hold onto it all the time."

"Why does it seem like there's something you're not telling me?" Lucy asked with a smirk, finally turning to the side and snuggling into Gajeel's bare chest while his arms adjusted around her.

"Too damn perceptive," Gajeel grumbled while he kissed her hair. "You told me that you never have anything to defend yourself with in your nightmares," he said softly. "But, when you go to sleep you don't have your keys or whip actually _on_ you. Metallicana told me a story once about how you can control your dreams if you know you're dreaming, and the easiest thing to carry into a dream for your subconscious is whatever you're wearing or holding onto."

"So, you think it might give me a way to stop the nightmares when you're not with me?" Lucy asked, looking up into Gajeel's eyes with a soft and hopeful smile.

"It's worth a shot," Gajeel answered with a shrug. "Even if it doesn't work, I still wanted you to have something… so you wouldn't forget about me."

"How could I forget about you?" Lucy asked with a frown, her eyebrows pushing together and her concern evident while she looked at the uncomfortable and saddened expression on Gajeel's face. _This must really be a sore spot for him,_ she thought. Three times in her memory of their time together, Gajeel had mentioned something about her not being around him any longer, or wanting her to never leave. It seemed that losing his dragon had made one huge insecurity in Gajeel that he couldn't get away from, and Lucy hoped there was a way for him to move past it one day.

"You left so soon after we got back, so I guess I was worried that something would happen and I'd be alone again… I fixed it up while you were away, that way I could give it to you once I knew you were safe," Gajeel mumbled, averting his gaze to stare at a newly discovered 'intriguing' pattern on the wall across the room. "I spent every day and night with you for over a month, and then you were gone. Yeah, it was just a mission a few hours away for a week, but I hated that you weren't here with me." Gajeel sighed and looked back down at Lucy to see her smiling up at him, then decided there really wasn't any reason to keep it to himself. She was crazy enough to love him, and he was just as crazy as she was to love her back, so there was no point in denying anything. "I never thought that I'd actually admit to you or anyone else what I did yesterday—about being abandoned and all that—and it scares the hell out of me that I actually care about someone when it was the last thing I wanted to happen…"

Lucy nodded and silently started tracing the piercings on Gajeel's arm while she let him collect his thoughts. It wasn't often that he would actually talk about what was going on inside his head over things, and even while they had gotten to know each other the day before Lucy had been able to see how hesitant he was over revealing certain parts of himself. She didn't mind waiting for him to figure out how to say what he needed to, because at least he was willing to talk to her about it.

"At least if you have this, then you'll think about me," Gajeel whispered, lifting a hand to the necklace and running his thumb over it. "That mission is where it all started for us… Where I actually opened up to someone for the first time since he left…"

"Gajeel," Lucy said softly as she placed her hand over his on the necklace. She waited until he looked back at her and gave him a warm smile while she said, "I could never forget you. You mean the world to me, and there's no way I could forget that I've got someone that's wonderful, aggravating, sweet, and just… amazing… that loves me for who I am. I'm not going anywhere, okay? You're stuck with me for as long as you want. No matter what happens, I'll always come back to my Dragon."

Gajeel smirked and kissed Lucy's forehead, then said, "You always do, Bunny. I just really don't feel like getting the short end of the stick again and losing someone I care about… I don't think I can take that shit again."

"Well, I'm a stubborn bitch," Lucy said with a smirk. "You'll never lose me."

"How can you be so sure?" Gajeel asked.

Lucy giggled and said, "The same way I'll never lose you." She pointed to her belly button ring and said, "I've got my Dragon right here."

Gajeel smiled down at the little iron piercing, noticing that it was healing nicely and looked perfect on Lucy. _Damn, I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing that on her…_

"And you…" Lucy trailed her forefinger lightly down Gajeel's chest until it circled around the exposed piercings on his hips, "You've got bunny ears. You said these are mine, so I'll always be with you too."

Gajeel laughed and shook his head at her. "Bunny ears?" he asked.

"Yep," Lucy said with a nod. "That's what they are. Think about it, if they were constellations, you'd have to use your imagination to picture bunny ears… Same basic concept, just with piercings."

"You call them bunny ears in front of anyone, and I'll rip out your tongue," Gajeel growled, though it didn't have nearly as much intensity as it should have because he was still smiling.

"Lies," Lucy said simply with a playful huff.

"You know I'm not a liar, sugartits," Gajeel shot back, grinning like crazy when Lucy stiffened and turned to glare at him.

"Did you just call me 'sugartits'?" she asked.

Gajeel raised an eyebrow and said, "You taste and smell like fucking almonds and _sugar_. I can tell you right now, your tits are no different."

"Damn," Lucy mumbled, "I guess it's not an insult if you're right…"

"Got that right. Just calling it like I see it," Gajeel said smugly, grunting when Lucy elbowed him in the gut. He growled and tightened his grip on her, leaning down and gently nipping at her neck with a grin and listening to her giggle.

"Thank you for the necklace, Gajeel," Lucy whispered happily before she tucked the tooth into her shirt. "It's perfect."

Gajeel grinned and felt his inner dragon's content purring rumbling from his chest, but couldn't even bring himself to care. He let the familiar wash of relaxing warmth spread through him and nuzzled Lucy's neck again and again while he slowly laid her down on the bed.

"I love you, Gajeel," Lucy whispered with a smile, running her hands through his hair.

"I love you too, Bunny," Gajeel whispered back.

* * *

><p>Lucy and Gajeel were on their way to the guild, just having left the Slayer's apartment, when Lucy got an idea. "Hey, Gajeel?" she asked, stepping over an empty bottle in her path.<p>

"Hm," Gajeel grunted.

"Do you think it would be a good idea for Ryos to have a weapon for his training?" Lucy had been thinking about it ever since Gajeel had agreed to train the boy. She had the use of her whip, which definitely came in handy when her keys were taken or if she was trying to minimize the use of her magic.

"Maybe, why?" Gajeel was doing everything in his power to breathe as little as possible until they were past the derelict section of town. The only reason he lived over here when he made more than enough for a place closer to the guild was because of the way that no one looked at him or bothered him. There were the common thugs that came and went, a bunch of homeless people that took up their cardboard residence in alleyways, and just overall nasty people in the area, but Gajeel was left alone by all of them. There weren't any nosy neighbors to deal with, and there were hardly any people walking in the streets that aggravated him when they didn't move fast enough. It's not like he spent much time at his place even before Lucy dropped into his life, so he didn't see a big deal about moving somewhere else. The only problem was the damn smell once he left the apartment building.

"Well," Lucy said, "You were saying last night that it'll take some time for him to regain his strength from not eating properly, and that it could translate to him not being able to use his magic as much. If he has a weapon to train with first, then his magic can get back to how it's supposed to be while you work on the other stuff. And he'll be able to defend himself at a slight distance from any opponents."

Gajeel nodded with a smirk and said, "Tactics again, huh?"

Lucy shrugged, but let one corner of her mouth hitch up into a half-smile. "It's what I do."

"Well, a weapon might not be a bad idea."

They walked in silence until they finally started seeing the nicer buildings of the rest of Oak Town. Once Lucy could breathe easily, she sighed and said, "Do you think we could stop at a weaponsmith and check some stuff out? There's one on the way to the guild."

"Let's just get to the guild first, Bunny Girl," Gajeel answered.

"We're going to walk right past it, Gajeel. What's the harm in stopping now?"

"I've gotta talk to the brat first."

Lucy crossed her arms and scowled. "Well, if we're just looking then what's the problem? It won't take long…"

"After I talk to him."

Lucy huffed and said, "Fine, I'll just go myself." She started stalking off past Gajeel when she felt his hand clamp down on her arm and pull her to a stop. Lucy scowled and whirled around to glare at the agitated Slayer. "Wha—"

"After," Gajeel growled. Lucy had been worried about Ryos the night before, and Gajeel honestly understood why it had caused her so much distress. If the kid wasn't taking care of himself, and hadn't been for who knows how long, then Gajeel needed to find out just how bad it was before he could even train Ryos. He didn't have an issue with Lucy going to check out weapons, but he figured it would be a good idea to be there with her since he was the one that would be training Ryos with the weapon they chose.

"Not after," Lucy shot back, her voice rising in volume in tandem with her anger. She tried to pull away from Gajeel to no avail.

* * *

><p>The petite blunette smiled happily as she walked down the street with her teammates on either side of her. They had just finished a mission where all three of them had gotten to use their expertise in various fields, and were making their way through town to head to the train station.<p>

"I can't believe how easy it was," the man on her right said happily, running his hands over the fur lining of his coat.

"That's because I used my Knuckle Plant to knock that guard out," the other man said with a wide grin.

"Well, if I hadn't run inside so quickly, we wouldn't have gotten the book before the place collapsed," the first interjected. "Went a little overboard, don't you think?"

The blunette laughed as her teammates argued behind her, then said, "We all worked together, so it's no wonder it was so easy."

Both men paused, then smiled with hearts in their eyes. "You're so right, Levy!" the shouted in unison.

"GODDAMNIT, YOU SORRY SACK OF SHIT! PUT ME DOWN!"

The three mages stopped dead in their tracks when they heard a highly agitated woman screaming just behind them. They all turned around to stare wide-eyed as a huge and highly muscled man with wild black hair, and piercings covering his face and arms, stalked down the street towards them with a sneer on his face and a woman thrown over his shoulder. Levy quickly assessed the situation, and caught a glimpse of the local guild's mark on his right shoulder just barely visible under the feathered sleeve. _Phantom Lord,_ she thought worriedly.

"Did you hear me?! Put me the fuck down or I'll cut your dick off and feed it to a pack of wolves!"

"Shut the fuck up already!" Gajeel shouted as he roughly shouldered past three idiots standing in his way with a growl. He grimaced when their scents filled his nostrils: something he could only describe as freshly tilled soil from one, too much cologne from another, and musty books from the little blue-haired chick. "God, you're fucking annoying!"

"I'm gonna kick your ass, you prick!" Lucy screeched, kicking her legs and pounding her fists on his back. She paused for a moment to lift her head up, taking in her surroundings and finding that they were only a block away from the guild, far past the weapon shop she had wanted to stop at.

Levy gasped when the blonde woman lifted her head, her hair falling back enough to reveal a deep scowl and furious brown eyes. Their eyes met for only a moment, with something akin to recognition or surprise flashing in the blonde's eyes before she looked away and started yelling again when the pierced man that was carrying her jostled her roughly on his shoulder. "Oh my," Levy gasped once she realized who the woman was.

Lucy dropped down limply on Gajeel's shoulder for a second, and whispered, "There are three Fairies staring at us, Gajeel." She quickly picked up a forced form of her previous anger, and noticed that Gajeel's head turned just slightly so he could hear what they were saying behind them.

"Levy, what's wrong?" Jet asked, not taking his eyes away from the retreating figures.

"That's Lucy Heartfilia," Levy whispered in shock, concern filling her to the brim while she watched the missing heiress being manhandled.

"Isn't she the one that's been in the papers lately?" Droy asked.

"ARGGGGH!" Lucy yelled, wriggling wildly in the hopes of dislodging herself from Gajeel's grasp.

"We should go after them," Jet said firmly, ready to bolt after the pair and help the girl out. "She needs our help."

Levy threw her hand out and frowned. "No, he's in Phantom Lord," she said. "Let's just see where he takes her."

Gajeel growled and tightened his grip on Lucy, wincing slightly when she screeched in pain. "They're following us, Bunny," he said. "Keep up the act."

"It's not an act, asshole," Lucy whispered. "Now, PUT ME DOWN!"

Gajeel smirked and pinched Lucy's ass, snickering when she tensed and squealed.

"Did you just… You fucking pervert!" Lucy yelled, beating on Gajeel's back violently than before. "Don't touch my ass!"

Gajeel snorted and whispered, "Don't wear skimpy shit like this and I'll be less tempted."

"SKIMPY?! I'M IN JEANS!" Lucy bellowed. "CREEPY BITCH!"

Levy, Jet, and Droy stayed several yards behind the pair, walking towards the train station and keeping an eye on what was happening. "Who knew someone like her would use that kind of language?" Droy asked incredulously.

"Why is she in the papers anyway?" Jet asked.

"They say she's been missing for a month now, and that her father is planning on hiring a guild to find her," Levy answered.

"Well, it looks like Phantom Lord kidnapped her," Jet grumbled. "Why can't we just take her now?"

Levy sighed and shook her head. "We're in their home town, so he could be taking her to the guild. It could just be a coincidence that he's in Phantom Lord though, so we need to know for sure that the guild itself is involved. If it's just him, then we can go after them. He might even have found her, and he's taking her to the train station. We'll have to see what he does."

"Well, if he takes her to the guild we won't be able to get her out of there," Droy whispered. "We can't take on a whole guild…"

"Yeah," Jet agreed. "And they're a legal guild so it's not like we could attack them to begin with. Even if we were strong enough to take them all out."

"Right, we'll tell Master about this when we get back to the guild," Levy said, stopping her companions and pulling them into an alleyway to watch the raven-haired mage throw open the doors to Phantom Lord's guild hall and then toss Lucy inside. Loud cheers and raucous cackling could be heard from inside along with more yelling from the young heiress.

_"Master Makarov will know what to do."_

Gajeel scowled when he heard the Fairy's words before taking a step forward and listening to them walking towards the train station. _No way in hell is her old man taking her back,_ he thought as he stalked past Lucy and up the stairs to Master Jose's office. _Missing for a month?,_ he thought sourly, _Bastard probably doesn't want to admit that she ran away six or seven months ago._

"Come in," Jose said, setting his pen down and leaning back in his chair.

Gajeel stalked inside, unable to hide the anger that was quickly spiraling out of control at the thought of someone taking Lucy back to her father. "Master, we have a problem," he said once he was in front of Jose's desk.

"A problem?"

"Some Fairies followed me and Bunny Girl while we were coming to the guild. Her old man's getting ready to hire a guild to 'find' her since she 'disappeared a month ago.' They're heading back to Magnolia to tell their guild master that she's here."

"Where did they follow you from?" Jose asked, furrowing his brow while he tried to rearrange the plans he'd been making concerning Lucy.

"She crashed at my place yesterday," Gajeel answered. "Said that I needed to have those blueprints memorized since I couldn't take them with me when you send me on that mission. We were about a block away from here when they saw us."

Jose raised a surprised eyebrow and slowly nodded.

"They think we kidnapped her."

Jose chuckled and said, "Why would they think that? Her guild mark is always visible with the outfits she wears."

Gajeel snorted and said, "She was being a pain in my ass, so I threw her over my shoulder. I'd rather listen to her bitch about _that_ on the way here than deal with her shit while I'm trying to eat. They couldn't see her guild mark."

"This does change things," Jose said with a sigh. "I don't need Fairies interfering with my guild members… And I didn't have you go off to train her just so she could be taken away from us." He paused for a moment, then said, "Your mission might be sooner than we had anticipated, Gajeel. Be ready just in case, and don't leave her side for long."

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at Jose and stayed silent.

Jose chuckled and said, "If her father is planning on sending out a request to come get her, and the Fairies already know she's here, they could come for her any time. She'll need to have someone there, and I can't just assign someone to the task. She still tolerates you, so you're the one for the job."

"And during my mission?" Gajeel asked. "It'll take a day or two for what you want done."

"I'll speak with her before you leave on your mission, and we'll see what we can work out. How long is the train from here to Magnolia?"

"Four hours or so."

"Wonderful," Jose said with a grin. "I expect you to keep your lacrima with you at all times until this issue is settled. Don't spend too much time in the guild. If they search here first, then they'll find her instantly."

"What the fuck am I supposed to do then? Drag her around like a ragdoll?"

Jose chuckled and shook his head. "You will have to figure that out, though I would recommend trying to keep a lower profile. Now go on before she disappears on us."

Gajeel nodded and stalked out of the office, growling once the door was closed. He didn't have an issue with spending time with Lucy, in fact he loved the idea of keeping her away from the guild and holed up somewhere so he could have her all to himself. What was aggravating was that the asshole who'd ignored her until she ran away was trying to get her back after well over six months of her being gone, and Master Jose had ordered Gajeel to stick by her side. _Why does he want us together so much?_ He paused once he got to the second floor and peeked over the railing to see Lucy at the bar just like every other day. When Gajeel looked up in the rafters, he smirked once he saw Ryos sitting in his 'hiding spot'. Gajeel hopped from the balcony up into the rafters, coming to sit right next to Ryos. "You've got some fucking explaining to do, brat," he said as he watched Lucy sitting at the bar while she waited for the same smoothie she got every day.

"I know," Ryos whispered, his eyes trained on the blonde as well.

"Why didn't you go out yesterday?"

"I didn't want to tell her…"

"You said would though."

Ryos sighed and nodded. "I feel really bad about it. I wanted to go and spend time with her but… I don't want her to pity me."

"Bunny Girl doesn't pity anyone," Gajeel said with a smirk. "She understands people's pain and tries to make it better. She doesn't feel sorry for people." He glanced at Ryos and said, "She told me you're not eating."

Ryos shook his head with another sigh. "I sleep and eat here. I just hide until Tom closes up, then try to find something that's edible without making a mess. Then I hide again before he opens the doors in the morning. It usually makes me sick when I try to eat too much."

"You're saying you've been living in the guild this whole time?"

Ryos nodded. "I'm not strong enough to take on missions, and even if I was… Who would rent a place to a kid? I don't have anywhere to go, and at least if I stay here I've got a roof over my head and a bed in the infirmary. It's better than sleeping out on the street."

"This is gonna sound like a stupid question, but you're eating your element, right?" Gajeel asked, turning to face the boy.

Ryos just shrugged. "Sometimes," he said softly. "It's hard to do it with regular shadows, but I don't know what to do about it. Skiadrum used to help me when he was alive, and I kind of remember him saying that I didn't only have to eat shadows, but I don't know what else he said would work. I usually don't eat any until my body forces them into me."

"That's part of the problem," Gajeel said with a sigh. "You can't get stronger if you don't eat your element. That's why I'm constantly eating metal. The more powerful you are, and the more powerful your magic is with training, the more you need it. If you don't have it, then your magic sucks out what it needs to keep going from your body. It'll kill you eventually. And the reason you get sick when you eat too much is because you're not eating enough of your element—your body can't handle it."

"I never knew that," Ryos whispered, lowering his head in shame. "I guess I don't remember Skiadrum telling me about what would happen if I didn't eat my element…"

"Well, you're gonna need to figure out a way to take care of yourself—at least when it comes to that. I can try to help you with it, but you're eating something that's not tangible so I've got about as much of an idea as you do," Gajeel said with a frown. "The only way to get your strength up is to eat you element."

"How long will it take?" Ryos asked.

"Couple days if you do it almost constantly," Gajeel answered with a shrug. "Could be less time since you're still figuring shit out."

"How will I know when I've had enough?"

"Instincts," Gajeel said. "You have to listen to what that damn dragon in your head tells you."

"You hear one too?" Ryos asked with wide eyes. _I thought that was just me missing Skiadrum._

"Yeah. Metallicana told me that it's part of the transfer. Because we got a portion of their magic, we also got their instincts. It manifests itself as a dragon, either _your_ dragon or just a dragon in general, and helps you figure out what to do as far as that side of yourself is concerned."

"What do you mean, 'that side'?"

Gajeel sighed and leaned back against a beam while he looked at Ryos. "We're humans with dragon characteristics from our magic, so you've got two sides of yourself to think about. There's your human side which is pretty much what you usually do, all of your conscious decisions, stuff like that. Then there's your dragon side which is your magic telling you how a dragon would handle any given situation." Gajeel glanced at Lucy and said, "What does your dragon say about her?"

Ryos looked down at the blonde and smiled. "Protect her."

"Does it say why?"

"Because she cares about me. She's my friend."

"You don't always have to listen to that dragon—to your instincts—but they don't usually steer you wrong," Gajeel continued. "Hell, I fought mine almost the entire time I was on that mission with her."

"What do your instincts say about her?" Ryos asked innocently.

"To make her my mate," Gajeel answered with a snort. "Like _that's_ gonna happen."

Ryos frowned and turned to Gajeel. "Why wouldn't you?" he asked, bristling with anger. "You already bit her, why wouldn't you make her your mate too?"

"It's complicated," Gajeel grumbled.

"Did she not accept it?" Ryos asked while his confusion started growing.

Gajeel rolled his eyes and pulled the collar of his shirt to the side, showing Ryos the third bite mark Lucy had given him two days prior. "That's not the issue, brat. I'm ignoring my instincts on this one for a reason. I'm more than willing to do it, but I'm not rushing her into it. I haven't even explained it to her."

Ryos stared with wide eyes at the bite mark that Gajeel showed him. He could see where each of Lucy's teeth had punctured Gajeel's flesh, and the dark mark left over it from where she had apparently given him a hickey, but there was something about it that seemed off. It didn't seem to be healing as quickly as a bite wound should for a Slayer, and seeing it made his inner dragon tense up at the thought of becoming too close to Lucy without Gajeel's permission. "Why would you bite each other if you haven't told her?" Ryos asked.

"First time it happened, _she_ told me to do it," Gajeel said with a shrug, pulling his shirt back into place so the bite wound was hidden. "She knows we can't do it often, and all I said was that something could happen to her if we weren't careful."

"But you didn't tell her about how the bite works? Or what it means?"

"All she knows is that we both get all kinds of loopy afterwards," Gajeel said with a smirk as he remembered just how ridiculous they were while they rode that crazy high. "I told her the same thing Metallicana told me: if you can let go with a Slayer, and they do the same, then that's what happens."

Ryos nodded and kept his face blank while he looked back down at Lucy. _She doesn't know at all… She's already accepted his offer. _Ryos remembered that intensely weird conversation with Skiadrum very well. Eventually, Ryos would find a woman he wanted to make his mate and he'd bite her as an offer for a real mark. If she returned the bite, and they reacted to it positively—much like how Lucy and Gajeel apparently reacted—then that's her acceptance of his offer to make her his mate. The next time Ryos would bite the woman, his instincts would push him to mark her; along with every bite after that until he finally did. Skiadrum had said it wasn't something to toy around with, that whoever Ryos chose to bite needed to be fully aware of what she was agreeing to if she bit him back. "Will you ever tell her?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," Gajeel said. "We need time to figure this shit out, but I'll tell her. I almost marked her a couple days ago…" He paused when Ryos shot him a glare and growled at him, then said, "My instincts were pushing me to do it, but I stopped myself. I'm not marking her until she knows what she's getting into. She gets to choose whether she wants me for the rest of our lives. That's why I'm giving her time."

Ryos nodded and said, "So, you don't want to jump the gun and scare her off with it."

"Pretty much," Gajeel sighed. "The only time I've gone against my instincts is where she's concerned. Like I said, they won't steer you wrong _most_ times. But you still have a choice in whether or not you listen to them."

"So, nine times out of ten?" Ryos asked with a smirk. _If she's the only time he hasn't listened to his instincts, then Gajeel is really stubborn…_

"Yep," Gajeel replied. "So, when your instincts are telling you that you need to eat your element _before_ it becomes a problem…?"

Ryos sighed and said, "I'll listen." After a moment, he asked, "Do you hear more than just a dragon sometimes?"

"Depends," Gajeel said with a shrug. "I usually do when I'm fighting my instincts, why?"

"What does it sound like?"

"Like a shitty and angry version of me that's arguing against what my dragon's saying."

"Oh," Ryos whispered with a frown. "I don't hear that…"

"What do you mean?"

"I hear shadows talking," Ryos said, shifting uncomfortably and wrapping his arms around himself. "Skiadrum said I'd need to be careful not to listen to them."

"Then, I'd go with what your dad said," Gajeel said carefully. "Probably just a side effect of your element. If anyone would know about that shit, it's the dragon that taught you." They were silent for a only a minute, both Slayers watching Lucy while she ate a small breakfast and tapped lazily on the counter. Gajeel grinned and said, "See what she's doing?"

"She's eating," Ryos answered.

"Listen to the guild for a second."

Ryos frowned, but let the background noise of their guildmates filter back in instead of ignoring it. He quickly glanced around and saw two guys getting into an argument over a card game.

"Keep your eyes on Bunny," Gajeel said. When Ryos turned back to watch Lucy, he started narrating and explaining what she was doing. "See how her head's turned just a little? She's listening to their argument. She's tapping her fingers so she seems bored, but she's really keeping a count of how long between insults."

"Why did she turn back?" Ryos asked.

"Because the fight's about to break out," Gajeel said. "You can't see her face, but she checks her surroundings before focusing on what she's doing again. See how her tapping changed?"

Ryos nodded, watching her fingers go from making a wave to her forefinger and middle finger tapping the bar in a slow and steady pattern. "Why did it change?"

"Listen close and you'll hear her," Gajeel said.

_"5, 4, 3, 2, 1."_

Ryos' eyes went wide when the fight across the guild broke out once she hit one. "How did she do that?" he asked incredulously.

"You have to be aware of your surroundings at all times," Gajeel said. "You can't always rely on sight, and we tend to rely on scent more than anything else. Bunny Girl doesn't have that luxury, but she still gets by." He noticed Ryos tense up when a stool went flying at Lucy, but Gajeel put a hand out. "Watch."

Ryos watched in awe as Lucy bent down with her smoothie in her hand, the straw still up to her lips, and wiped away an imaginary spot on her boot just as the stool would have hit her head. The flying object went sailing over her and the bar, then shattered once it hit the wall. Lucy sat back up and placed her drink down, then took another bite of her meal as if nothing had happened. "How long did it take you to teach her how to do that?"

"I didn't," Gajeel said with a grin, chuckling when Ryos turned to gape at him. "That's what I meant by her having a strong base for me to start training from. She was already able to do that before I trained her, so I just had to work on combat and helping her strengthen her magic."

"I wanna see her fight some time," Ryos whispered while he turned to watch Lucy again.

"You probably don't," Gajeel said. "She doesn't hold back when she's fighting an enemy."

"That's a good thing though, right?"

"Yeah, especially since she doesn't seem to mind killing them. Bunny Girl's pretty fucking sadistic though. _That's_ what you don't wanna see."

"What do you mean by that?" Ryos asked. "She's nice…"

"Yeah, she's nice when you're not fighting her," Gajeel said with a smirk that faded quickly as he continued. "Remember when I was talking to her in the infirmary? About those guys in the mountains?"

Ryos frowned and nodded.

"What she did to them for trying to hurt her was everything they deserved, and not enough at the same time," Gajeel growled. "She tore them to pieces for what they tried to do. That's the kind of shit you don't want to see, brat. I'm surprised she doesn't have nightmares about what _she_ did to them. She only has them about what didn't really happen…"

"Did you see it?" Ryos asked.

Gajeel shook his head and sighed. "No, but I did watch her rip out a monster's brain. That was pretty badass. What I'm getting at is that when Bunny Girl's not sparring, when it's a life or death fight, she's totally different than what you and I see all the time."

"Is that from training with you?"

"Nope, that's just who she is. I don't understand it, and I don't want to. All I know is that I prefer sparring with her to being on the receiving end of her psycho-time," Gajeel said. They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Gajeel said, "You know Master will kick your ass if he finds out you're staying here."

"I know… That's why I'm careful, and why I stay out of sight most times."

Gajeel sighed while he looked down at Lucy again. "Don't disappear on her again, brat," he whispered.

"Huh?" Ryos asked.

"She waited here for you yesterday," Gajeel said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Came by my place after the guild closed. She's worried, and you not showing up just made it worse for her."

"I didn't mean to—"

"I know," Gajeel said. "But she's a lot like us when it comes to being left alone."

"Because her mom died?" Ryos asked sadly.

Gajeel nodded and said, "And her dad's a shitbag that's trying to take her away from us for good."

Ryos' eyes widened and his head shot up to look worriedly at Gajeel. "What do you mean? I don't want her to leave…"

"I mean just that. She ran away from home, and now her old man is trying to take her back. She ran away for a damn good reason, so I'm not letting her go without a fight," Gajeel said. "I told her that I'd never let him take her away…"

"I'm not letting her go either," Ryos agreed firmly with a scowl. _No way is he going to take Lucy away. She's the first person who's ever cared about me…_

"Then you need to get stronger. And when you tell her you'll do something, make sure you do it… I fucking hate seeing her crying."

Ryos flinched when he realized that he was the reason for Lucy's tears. "I… I made her cry?" he asked.

"She's worried about you, of course she fucking cried," Gajeel said. "She was spot on about that shit too."

"Huh?"

"She had you pinned on why you weren't eating," Gajeel said. "She even asked me about you not eating your element, which is why I brought it up. I honestly thought that would be something you'd already know."

"I should go apologize," Ryos whispered guiltily.

"Yeah, but not in here. She might end up getting all teary-eyed, and I know she won't want anyone in the guild to see that. Give her a minute, and we'll go out to the training grounds to talk to her about this shit."

"You really care about her, huh?" Ryos asked with a small smile.

Gajeel sighed and watched Lucy pay Tom for her meal, then get up and walk out towards the training grounds. "I love her, brat" he whispered. He looked back over to Ryos and said, "That's why I'm ignoring my instincts on the whole mating thing. She loves me—she's fucking insane for it, but she does—and now this shit with her dad and Fairy Tail is going on. I can't talk to her about it while this is happening, because if she actually agrees to it and I lose her after marking her… It'll kill me."

Ryos frowned and nodded, then said, "Well, I hope you tell her soon. You guys go well together… Even if you beat each other up constantly."

Gajeel chuckled, watching Ryos relaxing slightly. "Come on, sneak outside with me and we'll go figure this shit out with Bunny. You owe her a trip to that bakery anyway."

Ryos blinked several times and quickly stood to his feet. He followed Gajeel through the rafters and outside through the window he used every night to sneak in or out of the guild. Once outside, they quickly made their way down to the training field and saw Lucy sitting in the bleachers talking to a guy in a horse costume. "Who's that?" Ryos asked.

"Sagittarius," Gajeel answered. "He's one of her spirits. Fucking awesome at archery." Gajeel landed silently on the ground and turned to see that Ryos was already standing next to him. "Shit, you've got stealth going for you," he muttered.

Ryos smirked and said, "Shadows, remember?"

"True." The pair made their way over towards Lucy on the bleachers, and Gajeel grinned when she glanced at them and instantly brightened up before dismissing Sagittarius. "Special delivery," Gajeel called out when he and Ryos were only a few feet away.

Lucy giggled and rolled her eyes, then forced herself to walk slowly over to the pair of Slayers. She wrapped Ryos in a loving embrace, smiling softly when his arms wrapped around her waist, and looked up at Gajeel. "You guys talked?" she asked.

Gajeel crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. "He's got some shit to talk to you about, but Master said we need to stay away from the guild until my mission."

Lucy frowned and tilted her head to the side, not letting Ryos go. "Why?" she asked softly.

"I'll tell you later on."

"Why can't you tell me now?" Lucy asked cautiously.

"Because I'd rather be able to hold you when I say it, and I can't even fucking touch you right now," Gajeel growled, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes for a moment. "Either way, I'm on Bunny detail for the time being, and we still have to go over those blueprints."

"And go to the bakery," Ryos added with a small smile when he pulled away to stand next to Lucy.

"And to the weapon shop," Gajeel added with a grin. "Looks like you've got a fully day, Bunny."

Lucy laughed and rolled her eyes at the two Slayers that were apparently acting as her escorts for the day. "A very full day," Lucy said as Gajeel moved to stand on her other side. "Where to first?"

"Weapons, Bakery, and then your place?" Gajeel asked as they started making their way to the side entrance of the training grounds.

"Sounds good to me," Lucy said. "How about you, Ryos? Are you up for a field trip to a weapon shop?"

"Sure," Ryos answered with a nod.

"I'd hope so," Gajeel said. "We're gonna find you a weapon for your training."

When Ryos gaped at Lucy and Gajeel, Lucy giggled and nodded before kissing his forehead. "It's best to not rely only on your magic, just in case there's a time where you can't use it."

"See? He's getting hugged _and_ kissed," Gajeel grumbled, "Fucking bullshit."

Lucy rolled her eyes and said, "I'll make up for not thanking you properly for finding Ryos when we're at my place," Lucy said with a nod.

"Pretty sure the brat doesn't wanna watch us fucking, Bunny," Gajeel retorted with a chuckle, grunting when Lucy jabbed him in the side.

"That's not what I meant, ass," Lucy muttered. "Keep it up, and you'll be sleeping in your own damn bed. Alone."

"Don't be a bitch," Gajeel said with a glare.

"Don't be a perv, then," Lucy shot back.

"I thought you liked me being a perv," Gajeel said with a smirk.

"Maybe," Lucy said with a huff, wrapping her arm around Ryos' shoulders and lightly squeezing them.

"Don't lie," Gajeel teased, "You love it."

"Nope," Lucy said, turning her head away and giving Ryos a playful wink.

"Fine, don't admit it," Gajeel said, smirking slightly. "I still love ya."

Ryos and Gajeel both laughed when Lucy stumbled in her shock, and she quickly righted herself to stare wide-eyed at the Iron Slayer. "Uh…" she said dumbly.

"It's okay, Lucy," Ryos said. "Gajeel told me."

A deep blush colored Lucy's cheeks and she looked from Ryos to Gajeel who only nodded. She picked her jaw up and her mouth curved into a sweet smile while she looked at the ground. "Love you too," she whispered. _What the hell were they talking about that Gajeel told him about __**that**__?,_ Lucy wondered.

* * *

><p>Levy jumped off of the train as soon as they arrived in Magnolia, with Jet and Droy hot on her heels. "Come on," she yelled back to them, "Who knows what happening to her!"<p>

"Levy, relax!" Droy called out, apologizing to several people that he bumped into while trying to keep up with the small woman. "Why don't you send Jet ahead to the guild so we know Master's actually _there_?"

Levy grinned at Droy and nodded. "That's a great idea! Jet, can you—"

"Got it!" Jet shouted just before he activated his magic and rushed off to the guild.

Within ten minutes, Levy and Droy arrived at Fairy Tail, panting slightly but still in a hurry. They burst through the doors and were surprised to see that there wasn't already huge brawl under way. Ignoring that for the time being, Levy rushed up to Jet when she saw him motioning from the stairs towards Master Makarov's office.

Makarov stood up quickly from his chair when Team Shadowgear rushed into his office. "What is wrong, children?" he asked worriedly.

Levy held up a finger then bent over and placed her hands on her knees while she tried to catch her breath from bolting up the stairs along with running from the train station. "Phantom… Lord…" she panted.

Makarov frowned and nodded to Jet to close the door to his office. "What about them? Has something happened?"

Levy thanked Jet once he led her over to a chair in front of Makarov's desk. With one last deep breath, she said, "You've read the recent articles about the missing heiress, right Master?"

"Lucy Heartfilia?" Makarov asked.

"Yes. They say she went missing from her father's estate last month. There was something about a security breach, and she was kidnapped in the middle of the night. He's had his own men searching for her, but hasn't had any luck finding her," Levy said with a nod. "It's rumored that he'll be hiring a mages guild to find her and bring her back home."

"What does this have to do with Phantom Lord?" Makarov asked.

"They kidnapped her," Levy answered. "We saw one of their members carrying her to their guild hall while we were in Oak Town."

"Is she hurt?" Makarov asked.

Droy laughed and shook his head. "Not when we saw her. She was cursing up a storm at the guy."

Jet laughed along with Droy and nodded in agreement. "She's worse than Laxus, Master."

Makarov raised an eyebrow then looked at Levy. "Are you sure it was her? That doesn't sound like—"

"I'm sure," Levy said firmly. "It didn't make sense to us either, but it's her… And she does have quite the potty mouth.

"She said she was going to feed the guy's genitals to a pack of wolves after she cut them off," Jet interjected shakily, nodding solemnly when Makarov paled at the description.

"Master, what should we do?" Levy asked. "We wanted to make sure he wasn't taking her to the train station to return her to her father's estate, so we followed them. We wanted to help her, but…"

"Levy, child," Makarov said with a smile, "I understand, and I'm glad you returned to inform me of what you've found. I'll contact her father and tell him that we'll be sending an S-Class mage out to retrieve his daughter."

Makarov quickly pulled out a communications lacrima from his desk along with a newspaper. He skimmed the paper to find the article he'd read about the missing girl, and finally saw her father's name. Jude Heartfilia. The pieces of who this girl was quickly fell into place, and Makarov only hoped that the man would be willing or able to answer his call. Sending a small pulse of magic into the lacrima, Makarov focused on the person he wished to reach, and sighed in relief when he was greeted with a stoic, blond man with a moustache and finely tailored business suit. "Jude Heartfilia, correct?" Makarov asked solemnly.

"Yes," Jude said.

"I am Makarov Dreyar, the guildmaster of Fairy Tail. Some of my guild members have informed me that they have located your daughter."

"Where is she?" Jude asked, his voice the same baritone as always and giving no show of emotion over his wayward daughter.

Makarov tensed slightly, noticing how calm the man on the line seemed to be about the whole thing. "Is it true that you are looking for a mage to retrieve her?" he asked.

"That depends on where she is."

"We believe she has been kidnapped by a mages guild," Makarov said, "I am willing to send at least one of my highest ranking mages to bring her to you."

"When?"

Makarov narrowed his eyes slightly, then said, "The first available mage will not be here for another day or so. I will send her out immediately upon her return."

Jude thought for a moment, giving the older man's image a calculating once-over, then nodded. "Very well. I will have the request sent to your guild with any information your mage might require."

Makarov nodded once and cut off the lacrima, frowning at the top of his desk. Something was off about Jude's reaction to his daughter having been found. He wasn't excited by it, there were no tears of joy or even a smile. If one of Makarov's brats had been kidnapped, and someone gave him a call to say they would be brought home safely, he would have bawled his eyes out and jumped for joy. _He didn't even ask if she was alright,_ Makarov thought. _Just what kind of parent wouldn't ask such a simple question over the well-being of their child?_

"Who are you sending?" Jet asked.

"It will have to be Erza," Makarov said with a sigh. "Natsu and Gray stole an S-Class mission, and she has been sent to retrieve them. They should be back the day after tomorrow."

"Why not Laxus?" Levy asked. "He should be closer, right?"

Makarov sighed and said, "He's disappeared again. That boy even refused to go after those two idiots, that's why Erza isn't here." He looked at each of the members of Team Shadowgear and said, "You have done all you can for now. Erza will handle it once she returns."

With that, Levy took her teammates out into the main guild hall and quietly sat down at their usual table, their worry over the young blonde evident on each of their faces.

* * *

><p>Jose frowned and crushed the small transmitter he'd been listening in on in his hand. Thankfully, he had a few contacts in Magnolia to help him keep an eye on those damn Fairies, so when he made a call and said he needed a small listening device to be attached to one of the Fairy Tail members that was getting off of the train, it was done quickly and efficiently. Listening in on Makarov's conversation with 'his children' was interesting to say the least. Jose knew that the correct target had been tracked when the first words the female said were his own guild's name, and then Lucy's.<p>

Makarov was planning on sending an S-Class mage—specifically Erza Scarlet—to take Lucy away, and had gotten her father's approval for it. While this changed the timeline for his own plans, Jose grinned when he realized just how he could make it work to his advantage. Gajeel had definitely slipped that day when he came storming into Jose's office, not only in how angry he was over the threat of Lucy being taken, but also when he mentioned that she slept at his home. No one went there, and no one would ever _want_ to go to the small apartment the Slayer lived in. Jose couldn't understand why she would have gone to his place when the pictures he had in the top drawer of his desk showed them at her apartment instead, but it really didn't matter. What was important was that Gajeel finally had a weakness, and Jose was more than willing to exploit the weakness he had created to make the man do just what he wanted.

All Jose needed was to explain the situation to Gajeel, and give him the orders to destroy Fairy Tail's guild hall, then send him on his way. More than likely, the Slayer would go above and beyond the call of duty to send a message to Fairy Tail, and that was exactly what Jose needed. He was tired of waiting to get his revenge against Makarov for all those years ago, and the time had finally come to tear his guild to pieces. Everything was falling into place for the attack on Fairy Tail, and one idea that was merely a fleeting thought stuck in Jose's mind just before he called Gajeel to let him know about his mission. _Lucy is a wonderful tool to use,_ he thought. _She'll prove useful in what's to come._

Jose chuckled darkly as he pulled out his communication lacrima and called Gajeel. Once the scowling Slayer appeared on the screen, Jose said, "Meet me tomorrow morning at ten for your mission briefing." Gajeel's single nod was all Jose needed before he cut off the connection, a wide and malicious grin spreading across his face at the prospect of decimating those Fairies once and for all.

* * *

><p><strong>So, how was it? Some fluffy moments, some misunderstanding bits, some dragony things, and Jose being a meanie!<strong>

**Also, for anyone who actually _knows_ French, I'd like to apologize if the conjugation of what Lucy said to Sol was wrong. I took French in high school (back in 2005), so I relied on Google Translate for that... (Note: shout-out to _Rakasa_ for letting me know that there was a word missing in the French section. I've updated it and I'm glad that Google didn't fail me too hard!)**

**So, Review, Follow, Favorite! I love you guys!~~GemNika!**

_**Citric Chancellor of The Crack Fiction Liberation Army.**_

**Huge shout-out to _LittlePrincessNana_ for being my wonderful sounding board for what's coming in this story. It was soooo helpful! Next chapter or the one after should have what we were talking about. Just saying. *shifty eyes***


	11. A Day with Two Dragon Slayers

**A/N: Holy fluff Batman. God, the past few chapters have just been so sappy… ON TO MORE FLUFF! **

**(I don't own Fairy Tail!)**

* * *

><p><em>All Jose needed was to explain the situation to Gajeel, and give him the orders to destroy Fairy Tail's guild hall, then send him on his way. More than likely, the Slayer would go above and beyond the call of duty to send a message to Fairy Tail, and that was exactly what Jose needed. He was tired of waiting to get his revenge against Makarov for all those years ago, and the time had finally come to tear his guild to pieces. Everything was falling into place for the attack on Fairy Tail, and one idea that was merely a fleeting thought stuck in Jose's mind just before he called Gajeel to let him know about his mission. 'Lucy is a wonderful tool to use,' he thought. 'She'll prove useful in what's to come.'<em>

_ Jose chuckled darkly as he pulled out his communication lacrima and called Gajeel. Once the scowling Slayer appeared on the screen, Jose said, "Meet me tomorrow morning at ten for your mission briefing." Gajeel's single nod was all Jose needed before he cut off the connection, a wide and malicious grin spreading across his face at the prospect of decimating those Fairies once and for all._

~.~

Once Lucy was back at her home with two Dragon Slayers in tow, they all sank tiredly into the chairs around her kitchen table. The trip to the weapon shop actually proved to be a great idea. Gajeel convinced Lucy to exchange her slightly worn whip for one that had small spikes jutting out all along the length of it, saying that he would replace them with his own iron so he wouldn't be tempted to eat it in the middle of the night. Ryos had no idea where to start looking, so he let Gajeel lead him through the shop. Eventually Ryos said that he would want to learn how to use a weapon that Gajeel was most comfortable with teaching him, which ended up being a sword. Ryos wouldn't have been able to handle one that was similar to the sword that Gajeel could shift his arm into, and with his diminished strength right then the best they could do was start with a katana. Even Gajeel had been able to find a good deal on some scrap metal that the shop owner had out back from damaged weapons.

The trip to the bakery had been interesting to say the least. As they made their way closer to it, Lucy couldn't help but giggle when Gajeel waggled his eyebrows at her. Ryos' reaction to the smells coming from the bakery were absolutely adorable in her eyes, and the moment the boy realized that Lucy's scent seemed to be coming from inside as well, his confusion had made her heart melt. Gajeel had ended up explaining that the older Ryos got, and the more he honed his senses, the better he would be at discerning whether what he was smelling was also human—though Gajeel did admit that he'd made the same mistake when he passed by this same shop before in thinking that Lucy was inside. Gajeel had insisted that Lucy and Ryos go on inside and have a rain check on their plans for the previous day, saying that he would head to his apartment and pick up some clothes for the night, then meet them back at the bakery.

Lucy glanced at the time and realized that they had been out for nearly seven hours between the time spent at the weapon shop and bakery, and walking between them all. "Ugh," Lucy grumbled, "I don't wanna cook…"

"Bunny, you two just ate half the damn bakery, I think you'll be fine," Gajeel chuckled.

"No we didn't," Lucy pouted. "Besides, it's almost dinner time. And if Ryos here is going to get healthy again, then he needs to actually eat."

Gajeel raised his eyebrow at her, then said, "Well, I can cook if you _really_ don't want to… but I can't promise you'll enjoy it."

Lucy shuddered and paled, then quickly shook her head and jumped to her feet. "Nope, I'd like to live until at least next week. I'll pass on your 'cooking', Gajeel."

"Is it really that bad?" Ryos asked.

Gajeel grinned and crossed his arms over his chest. "She doesn't like the fact that I cook metal into the food. It's fucking delicious."

"It's fucking insane!" Lucy shouted from the kitchen. "You should at least _warn_ someone before they nearly crack a tooth on a fucking screw!"

"It was a nail, Bunny!"

Lucy's head popped out of the doorway to the kitchen while she glared at Gajeel and pointed a wooden spoon at him. "_That_ is not what's important," she said, "Tell me next time so I can pull out all of the damn metal first!"

"Wait," Gajeel said with wide eyes, "You'd actually eat what I cooked if you knew there was metal in it?"

Lucy laughed and nodded. "Aside from the choking hazard, it was pretty good. I can just eat around it _if I know it's there_."

"You're fucking nuts, you know that?" Gajeel asked with a smirk.

"No, I'm not!" Lucy shouted from the kitchen again.

"Watch this," Gajeel whispered to Ryos, then turned back towards the kitchen and raised his voice so Lucy could hear him. "Insane?"

"No!"

"Bat shit crazy?"

"Goddamnit!"

"You're a fucking looney tune!"

"You're treading on thin ice, sewer grate…"

"Bunny, I think I know why you thought it was a screw that you bit…"

"Why's that?"

"Because you've got a screw loose!"

Ryos couldn't help but grin as he watched Lucy and Gajeel interacting. He had seen a small glimpse of what they were like around one another when they'd all been in the infirmary, but it was more of Gajeel being nice than anything else. Now, he got to see what happened when they were away from everyone else. At Gajeel's last comment, Lucy threw a butter knife at Gajeel's head, which caused Gajeel to crack up when he caught it and started eating the knife.

"You'd better make me a damn knife, Gajeel," Lucy said with a smirk.

Ryos watched Gajeel lay his hand on the table, then saw a soft green glow emanating from it while he used his magic. Once he was done, he held up an iron knife and threw it at Lucy. Ryos tensed while he watched it sail across the room to Lucy, but relaxed when she caught the knife and walked back into the kitchen after sticking her tongue out at the Iron Slayer. Not a minute later, she walked back out with a sweet smile while she looked at Gajeel. One look at the pair showed Ryos that they were really in love with one another—Gajeel's eyes softened considerably while he looked into Lucy's eyes, a small smirk crossing his face and showing his pointed canines, the way that Lucy slid into Gajeel's lap like it was the most natural place for her to sit—and he honestly couldn't be happier for them. As long as Lucy was happy with Gajeel, then Ryos and his inner dragon were perfectly fine with the older Slayer being in her life.

Lucy blushed and pressed her lips to Gajeel's, letting his hair thread through her fingers, and smiled when he moved to kiss the tip of her nose. "Thanks for finding him, Gajeel," she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder and smiling over at Ryos.

"Sure, Bunny," Gajeel said. "We've got some shit to talk about, and the brat's gonna tell you himself what happened yesterday."

Ryos grimaced at the thought of telling her what he'd said to Gajeel, but one pointed look from the man left Ryos sighing and nodding. "I'm sorry for not showing up, Lucy," he said sheepishly, "I was worried that you'd feel bad for me when you found out…"

Lucy frowned and asked, "About why you're not eating properly?"

Ryos nodded again. He looked pleadingly at Gajeel, hoping the guy would understand that he didn't want to admit it to her, and sighed in relief when Gajeel nodded.

"He's having a hard time figuring out how to eat his element," Gajeel said while he rubbed slow circles on Lucy's thigh. "His dragon used to help him out, and now he usually doesn't do it until his body forces it to happen."

"That's why you're not eating regular food either?" Lucy asked softly, never taking her concern-filled brown eyes off of him.

"I can't eat too much or it makes me sick," Ryos admitted.

Lucy turned to look at Gajeel, and he added, "Part of not eating his element. His stomach can't handle it right now."

"So, you just need to figure out how to eat shadows on your own, and you'll get better?" Lucy asked Ryos, smiling when he nodded.

"He's been living at the guild, Bunny," Gajeel said, sighing when Lucy tensed up in his arms.

Lucy's smile fell instantly while her mind whirled with the thoughts of what could happen to him if he kept staying there, why he hadn't found somewhere to live before. _If he's too weak to feed himself, then he wouldn't be able to take missions,_ she thought, _And if he can't take missions, then he has no money for a place to live…_ There were plenty of places that would take in someone Ryos' age, but she doubted any of them would be willing to house a kid that was also in a mage guild—especially not with the reputation that Phantom Lord had. "Not anymore," Lucy said firmly. "You're staying here."

"Huh?" Ryos asked, his head shooting up to gape at Lucy. _Here? But, why…_

Gajeel smirked and nuzzled Lucy's hair, already having known that the little blonde would say something like that. Lucy was a total psycho when she needed to be, but deep down he'd already figured out that she had a heart of gold. If she hadn't offered Ryos a place to stay, Gajeel would have even though his place wasn't exactly the greatest environment for a kid. At least there was enough room for Ryos to stay there while he was in training. "You sure, Bunny?" he asked softly. "He can always crash at my place."

Ryos looked at the pair and honestly had no idea what to do. Two people, one of which was the man he'd idolized for a long time, had offered to help him out. Gajeel was going to train him, help him figure out how to be a Dragon Slayer that Skiadrum could be proud of, and had already taught him something he didn't know about their magic. Lucy had been helping since they met—protecting him from Gajeel, taking care of his wounds, giving him comfort, getting Gajeel to hear him out about training, and even feeding him—and now she was offering him a place to live. "Y-You don't… have to do that," he mumbled.

"You're right," Lucy said softly, "I don't have to, but I want to." She turned to Gajeel and said, "Besides, _your_ place never has anything to eat aside from that death trap you call a snack. Honestly, one wrong move and he'd be impaled by a piece of fucking rebar."

"Hey, that rebar tastes good," Gajeel shot back. "You've got a point though. I only have beer and metal there on a regular basis."

"Exactly," Lucy said with a triumphant grin. "At least if Ryos is here I can make sure you don't try to kill him with your cooking."

"But…" Ryos whispered, feeling his heart pounding in his chest from some unknown anxiety. "I'm fine at the guild… Really…"

Lucy and Gajeel froze and turned to look at Ryos, then Lucy sighed when she realized that she needed to get back into the kitchen to keep working on dinner. "Go on, Bunny," Gajeel said as he pressed a kiss to her temple, "I'll talk to him."

Lucy smiled and nodded at Gajeel, then stood up and walked over to Ryos and gave him a quick peck on the top of his head before making her way back to the kitchen.

"Gajeel," Ryos whispered as he stared at his hands. "Why would you guys do that for me?"

"Do what?" Gajeel asked, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. "Give you a place to stay?"

Ryos nodded.

Gajeel sighed and shook his head. "You're as bad as Bunny Girl when it comes to accepting help, aren't you?" he muttered. After a moment, Gajeel leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees and lightly smacked Ryos' leg to get his attention. "She would have found out eventually, you know. It was seriously gonna happen either way. She loves helping people—might not seem like it, but she does—and you're the first friend she's ever had that wasn't one of her spirits."

"What about you?" Ryos asked. "Aren't you her friend, too?"

Gajeel chuckled and said, "We're a lot of things, but I don't think 'friends' is one of them." He paused and rolled his eyes when he felt the small pulse of magic from his communication lacrima that signaled he was being called. "Hold on," Gajeel mumbled as he pulled it from his pocket and scowled at the image of Master Jose on the screen.

"Meet me tomorrow morning at ten for your mission briefing."

Gajeel nodded and cut off the lacrima, setting it on the table with a sigh. _Talk about moving up the mission,_ he thought sourly. Jose usually only had him meet for a briefing early in the morning if he wanted Gajeel to leave that same day, which meant that he'd only get tonight with Lucy before he had to head out. "Why don't you want her help?" he finally asked Ryos.

"That's not it," Ryos muttered, his eyebrows pushing together. "I just don't understand it…"

"You don't need to understand it. Do you trust her?"

Ryos nodded.

"Do you _want_ to stay here instead of at the guild?"

Ryos shrugged.

"Alright… What do you think you should do when you're confused about something?" Gajeel asked.

"I don't know, that's why it's confusing…"

"Remember what I said about you having two sides?" Gajeel asked. When Ryos nodded, he asked, "What are they saying?"

"One says it doesn't understand why you guys would be willing to help me. The other says…" Ryos frowned, listening intently in the hopes of figuring out what his instincts would tell him to do.

"Don't try to force it," Gajeel said while he leaned back in his chair. "Take your time. Eventually it becomes second nature, and happens without you even focusing on it."

"But I didn't have to focus earlier," Ryos said.

"It comes and goes until you're used to it. If it doesn't pop up automatically, then you have to focus."

"How?"

"Close your eyes," Gajeel said, "Take a deep breath." He watched Ryos instantly following his instructions and felt a small smirk turn up the corner of his mouth. "Picture your dragon."

Ryos took another deep breath and pictured Skiadrum just as he remembered him. His massive father instantly popped up in his mind with the same inky black scales he had loved to run his hands over. Everything was exactly the same: the sharp horns on top of Skiadrum's head, the small shadow-like pointed chin, the mane of shadows that ran down his spine, and even the constant stream of shadows that seeped from his body.

"Now, picture yourself walking up to him," Gajeel said slowly. "Don't forget to keep breathing."

Ryos nodded, and pictured himself as he was now walking through a field at dawn towards Skiadrum. He paused in front of his father, smiling happily up at the dragon he'd missed for seven years.

"You there with him?" Gajeel asked.

Lucy tilted her head to the side and peeked around the corner from the kitchen to see Ryos and Gajeel sitting in complete silence. Wiping her hands on her apron, Lucy walked out to see what was going on. "Ga—"

Gajeel's hand shot up to silence her, placing a single finger over his mouth then pointing to Ryos. He saw Lucy's mouth clamp shut while she stopped moving altogether, and Gajeel looked back at Ryos when the boy nodded. "Ask him what you should do," Gajeel said. He saw Ryos' mouth open and said, "Not out loud. Just think it. He'll hear you."

Lucy smiled softly at Gajeel then turned back towards the kitchen. _Training already, I guess,_ she thought.

Ryos looked up at Skiadrum and smiled again when his father slowly lowered his head. Ryos lifted his hand and settled it on Skiadrum's snout, feeling the familiar warm breath breezing past him and pushing his hair away from his face. _"What should I do?"_ he silently asked his father.

_"About what? You haven't told me anything."_

Ryos grinned when he heard Skiadrum's voice, somehow both rumbling and raspy just the way he remembered. _"Lucy says I can live with her… I don't understand why she wants to help me."_

_"Silly boy,"_ the dragon whispered fondly, _"She's your friend."_

_ "What should I do?"_ Ryos asked again.

_"That's not for me to answer."_

"He won't answer my question," Ryos mumbled.

"Ask what _he_ would do," Gajeel said.

Ryos watched Skiadrum chuckle lightly, shaking his head and nestling a little closer to Ryos' hand that was still on his snout. _"You've found a Slayer to teach you,"_ Skiadrum said. _"I would tell her yes, Ryos. Let her help you. You might find that she needs your help just as much."_

Ryos frowned as he watched his father pull back and turn slightly before flying off into the air. He didn't want Skiadrum to leave him again, but the whisper on the wind that blew past him made Ryos feel at ease.

"_I'm here, Ryos. In your heart, I'll always be here."_

After he had completely disappeared from sight, Ryos' eyes fluttered open to see Gajeel watching him with a blank face.

"Did you get your answer?" Gajeel asked.

Ryos smiled and nodded. "I think I'll listen to his advice," he said. "Thanks, Gajeel."

Gajeel smirked at the boy. "Told you those instincts won't steer you wrong." Based on the look in Ryos' eyes, Gajeel knew that he'd felt like he was talking with his own dragon again. The same thing had happened the first time Gajeel had focused on his instincts and actually asked for guidance, and the fact that Ryos wasn't bawling like a baby right then actually garnered some respect from the Iron Slayer. When Gajeel saw Metallicana in his mind that first time after losing him, with that shit-eating grin and even shittier attitude, that same voice that kept telling him that he had a sour look on his face, and the oddly comforting feeling of his perfectly smooth metallic snout pressing against Gajeel's hand… Gajeel broke down in tears once he came back to reality. He was a sniveling pile of whirling emotions once he realized that the image of his own father would be with him forever, but as nothing more than a memory or a figment of his imagination if he never found the iron gecko again. _Maybe it's different for him since there's no hope to find the dragon,_ he thought. "What did he say?"

"He said I should let her help me," Ryos answered, "That she might need my help just as much."

"Damn," Gajeel chuckled while he shook his head. "Yours is definitely more helpful than mine."

"How so?" Ryos asked.

"That bastard usually doesn't say much. I've gotta figure out what the hell he's trying to tell me from the sounds he makes. Metallicana was like that though—he hated talking like a human, so he insisted that I learn how to figure out what he was trying to tell me based on how he was growling and shit like that," Gajeel said with a reminiscent smile. "It was just like you remember though, right?"

Ryos nodded happily. "It's the first time I've seen him in years. Usually if my instincts tell me something, it's just a voice or a feeling. I've never actually seen who was behind the voice though."

"When it becomes second nature to you, when you're used to tuning in to your instincts, it could go either way," Gajeel said firmly. He wanted to make sure that Ryos didn't get disappointed if he didn't actually see his dragon when his instincts were trying to tell him something. "You could either see him in your head like you did just now, but you won't be solely focused on him. _Or_ it could end up staying as a voice and feelings—like warning bells or feeling sick to your stomach over something—and you'll only see him when you focus on it. Either way, it's the same thing." Gajeel paused for a minute, then added, "You said something about hearing shadows before…"

"Yeah."

"What do they say?"

"Different things," Ryos whispered uneasily. "I try to ignore them, so I don't really know what they're telling me."

"You'll need to make sure that you can tell the difference between the voice of your instincts and the shadows," Gajeel said with a frown. "Your dragon said to be careful with them, and that could easily mean that they'll try and trick you into thinking you're following your instincts."

Ryos shivered and nodded. "I'll try."

"There's no 'try' about it," Gajeel said. "One thing Metallicana told me was that there are some elements that have serious consequences to gaining their power. A lot of them had died out by then, but yours is probably one of the ones he meant. If your dragon told you not to listen to them, then there's a damn good reason he said it. You have to take that shit to heart. He wouldn't have said it if it wasn't important."

"I wish I'd gotten more time with Skiadrum," Ryos mumbled. "Then I wouldn't be so lost with all of this stuff."

"You're doing fine, brat," Gajeel said gruffly. He smirked when he heard Lucy humming softly to herself in the kitchen, then glanced outside to see that the sun was already just past the horizon with only a small orange sliver still in the sky. "Bunny," he called out.

"Yeah?"

"How much time do we have?"

"Twenty minutes maybe," Lucy said as she walked out into the main room with a smile. "Why?"

"Gonna work on his magic for a bit," Gajeel said. "See if I can't figure out this whole eating shadows thing."

Lucy giggled and nodded, then looked over at Ryos and said, "I'd recommend explaining how you're supposed to eat them the same way your dragon told you."

"Too damn smart for your own good, Bunny," Gajeel chuckled. He looked over at Ryos and loudly whispered, "I'm pretty sure she's a Slayer, and she's just hiding it."

Ryos laughed and nodded, then turned to see Lucy openly gaping at them with the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile. "Probably," he said back to Gajeel. "She seems to know a lot about it."

"Very funny," Lucy said with a smirk, crossing her arms under her chest. "Gajeel, if you make me a whole new set of cutlery, you can have mine as a snack while you guys are working."

Gajeel's jaw dropped. "Seriously?" he asked.

"Yep. I want one for one though," Lucy said as she made her way back into the kitchen to grab the tray that held all of her eating utensils. "I don't think you had any metal while we were at the guild earlier, so why not? Besides, then I'll never have to worry about you eating my forks."

Gajeel stared at Lucy as she emptied the tray of utensils on the table in front of him. Two different sizes of forks and spoons, tons of butter knives, even serving utensils were all laid out and making his mouth water. "I should probably make it before I eat this," he mumbled to himself.

Lucy and Ryos watched Gajeel quickly sort out all of the metal on the table, counting each piece and double checking the sizes of everything before he started channeling his magic on the bare space in front of him. After only a couple of minutes, he was finished and Lucy had an entirely new iron set of utensils that she quickly placed in the tray before walking off to the kitchen. "Thanks, Gajeel," she called back with a smile.

Ryos chuckled and shook his head at the still stunned expression on the older Slayer's face. "Lucy," he called out, "I think you broke Gajeel."

Lucy's laughter rang out through the apartment, snapping Gajeel out of his stupor to glare at the wall between himself and Lucy in the kitchen.

"Don't glare at me, asshole," Lucy said through her laughter.

"How the fuck…" Gajeel whispered.

"You glare at everything!" Lucy shouted.

"How the fuck did you hear me?" Gajeel asked with wide eyes.

"I'm a Slayer just like you guys, remember?" Lucy teased, peeking out of the doorway to wink at Gajeel. "Now get to work."

Gajeel rolled his eyes and chuckled softly, then turned to look at Ryos to see him silently laughing right along with them. "Alright, brat. How did he explain it to you?"

* * *

><p>Gajeel didn't have much luck figuring out how to help Ryos when it came to eating shadows before dinner was ready, but the meal itself seemed to move by in a flash. Between the insults Gajeel and Lucy threw back and forth, the trio's near constant jokes, and how hard everyone was laughing by the end of it all it was a wonder why they didn't do things like this more often. Once the table was cleared and the dishes were clean, Lucy glanced at her bed and realized that she really should change her sheets since she and Gajeel had been all kinds of naked on them two nights before. "Ryos," she said while throwing the bedspread on the floor, "Did you decide whether or not you'll accept my offer?"<p>

Ryos grinned and nodded, looking from Gajeel to see his short nod over to Lucy. "Yeah," he said, "I'd like to stay."

"Well, that means you'll need to get your stuff from the guild and bring it over here," Lucy said with a sweet smile. "We'll get you all settled in."

"I don't have much," Ryos said sheepishly while he scratched the back of his head. "Just whatever I can carry in a bag."

"Don't worry about that," Gajeel interjected. "It's understandable since you've been squatting for a whole year."

"Gajeel, would you be willing to take him down there?" Lucy asked. "I've gotta change the sheets and do laundry."

Gajeel rolled his eyes and gave Lucy a pointed look. "Why do—"

"Gajeel," Lucy said sweetly, picking up the sheets from the floor and shoving them in his face. "Tell me, do these smell like sex to you?"

Ryos blushed and lowered his head with wide eyes when he heard Gajeel's annoyed growl turn into a groan.

"Shit, Bunny," Gajeel whispered, taking another deep inhale. "You're all over these…"

"So are you, shitstack," Lucy retorted with a blush of her own. "I've only got one bed, and I am _not_ having Ryos smelling that while he's trying to sleep. His nose picks up enough without being all wrapped up in it, too."

"Hey," Gajeel said absently, "You should just let me take these off your hands…"

"That is beyond fucking creepy, Gajeel," Lucy said.

"You smell amazing, how is it creepy?"

"Because you're smelling my sheets," Lucy answered in exasperation.

"Gajeel has a point," Ryos said. "You do smell really good. I can understand why he'd want to keep something that smells like you."

"See? The brat gets it," Gajeel said with a smirk.

"Would _you_ want to keep my sheets, Ryos?" Lucy asked.

Ryos shook his head quickly. "Not _yours_," he said, "But if I found someone that loved me like you love Gajeel, then I'd want to have her scent around me all the time. I just think you smell nice…"

Lucy blushed again and looked back and forth between the two Slayers, finally landing on Gajeel. With narrowed eyes and a slight sideways tilt to her head, Lucy asked, "You want to take them with you… back to your place?"

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her and nodded.

"So you can have my scent there too?"

Gajeel grinned and nodded again. _I don't think she's realized that she's the one holding this up to my nose._

"… Why?" Lucy asked cautiously.

"You know exactly why I love how you smell, Bunny," Gajeel answered, nuzzling the decadent scent in the sheets and loving just how much they smelled like his little blonde.

"But this smells like _both_ of us, Gajeel," Lucy said.

"All the more reason to have it," Gajeel said with a wink. "I like it, and I wanna keep it."

Lucy smirked at Gajeel and said, "Ask nicely."

"I'm not a dog."

"I didn't say 'beg'," Lucy reasoned, "I said to ask me nicely for it."

"Why?" Gajeel asked, taking another deep breath.

"Because if you do, then I'll give you these sheets to add to your hoard," Lucy answered with a light giggle.

Gajeel rolled his eyes and grinned again while he asked, "Can I _please_ keep these sheets, Bunny?"

"Why, yes you may, Gajeel!" Lucy said dramatically, finally pulling the sheets away from his face and squeaking when she was pulled into his lap.

"Damn pain in my ass, you know that?" Gajeel growled playfully.

Lucy nodded with a grin and melted into Gajeel's embrace once his lips covered hers. Her hands slid up his chest, feeling each and every bulging muscle tensing slightly as her fingers brushed over them, and no matter how hard she tried to suppress it, a small light moan left her once Gajeel's tongue plunged between her parted lips. Far too soon for her liking, Gajeel eased back and gave her a smug grin while Lucy tried to push past the lusty haze he had dragged her into so she could function.

"So, you had to change the sheets?" Gajeel asked, chuckling when Lucy nodded and nibbled her lower lip. "And I'm taking the brat to the guild?"

Lucy froze, then covered her face with her hands to hide the bright red flush on her cheeks. "Goddamnit, Gajeel!" came her muffled shout. "Ryos, I'm _so_ sorry!"

Gajeel cracked up laughing and nuzzled her hair. "He's fine, Bunny."

"Lucy," Ryos said calmly, "It's alright. I think I can handle you two kissing in front of me."

Lucy peeked from between her fingers to see a small smile on Ryos' face, but no hint of embarrassment. With a sigh, she dropped her hands to her lap and sheepishly said, "Sorry… I'm just not used to being able to do anything with him around anyone… We have to keep it a secret so…"

Gajeel frowned and nodded. "Trust me, I hate it as much as you do," he said softly. "I'd much rather be able to do whatever the hell we want."

"Well, you two are really strong," Ryos reasoned, "Why can't you just be open about it?"

"Someone could exploit it," Lucy answered.

"They could use Bunny to get to me, or vice versa," Gajeel added.

"But, no one would be dumb enough to mess with either of you," Ryos said. "And with everything that's going on—"

Gajeel quickly shook his head, making sure Lucy couldn't see him. He really didn't want the kid to be the one that dropped the bomb on her that her dad was trying to steal her away.

"What?" Lucy asked, furrowing her brow and looking at them questioningly.

"Nothing," Ryos said a little too quickly. One look from Lucy had him sighing in defeat, but he stayed silent otherwise.

"Bunny," Gajeel said softly, "It's about what I said earlier…"

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked.

Gajeel sighed and decided maybe he should just get it all out there and then deal with her reaction afterwards. "Just hear me out, okay?" he asked cautiously.

Lucy frowned, but nodded.

"It's about your dad," Gajeel said, tightening his grip on her when she went completely rigid. "Those Fairies that followed us know who you are, and they think we kidnapped you. Your old man told the papers you disappeared a month ago and he's planning on hiring a guild to find you."

"No…" Lucy whispered, her whole body beginning to quake in fear. "I-I won't… I won't go back…"

"Shh," Gajeel whispered, "I know. Just listen, okay?" In all the time he'd known Lucy, she had never been afraid of anything with the exception of her nightmare. This was the first time that he was actually seeing what fear looked like on her from more than her own imagination, and it tore him to pieces. He never wanted to see her like this again, and the fact that it all stemmed from the mention of being taken away by her father had Gajeel's inner dragon roaring in pure rage. _He won't,_ Gajeel thought, _I'll never let him near her._ "Master called while you were busy, and said I've gotta meet him in the morning for my mission briefing. That means he's sending me out tomorrow to deal with them. Master wants someone with you until this is handled, and he thinks the Fairies will be sending someone to find you—that's why I said I was on Bunny detail. He wants to make sure you're safe."

"I-I… I don't want you to go," Lucy choked out, her throat constricting almost painfully. It had taken tons of courage for her to finally run away, and the entire time she had been away from her father's estate Lucy had been worried that he would find her and force her into a marriage. With Gajeel away on a mission, and Fairy Tail knowing exactly where she was, it was only a matter of time before they came for her. If Gajeel wasn't back in time, she would have to fight them off and run. After finally finding some sense of happiness in her new life, with both Gajeel and Ryos, Lucy didn't want to leave everything behind. "What if they come while you're not here?"

"Master said we'll figure it out," Gajeel said, rubbing slow circles on her back. "I said I'd protect you, Bunny. That asshole isn't taking my Bunny away from me, and he definitely _won't_ get to sell you to the highest bidder like some fucking..." Gajeel's words were halted by a low, threatening growl; his anger mounted higher and higher with just the thought of Lucy being used to make her dad a quick buck. "You're staying right fucking here," Gajeel continued after a few deep breaths, his voice still lower and filled with his rage, "I just fucking found you, I'm not going to lose you. I'll get the mission done as fast as possible so I can get back here, but I won't know more until tomorrow after I meet with Master. He said to stay away from the guild because they'll look for you there first."

"Lucy," Ryos said worriedly when he saw tears streaming down her face. "I know I can't do much, but… I'll keep you safe while Gajeel's on his mission. I don't want you to get taken away."

Lucy gave Ryos a watery smile and a nod, then leaned into Gajeel's chest and let his metal-and-cinnamon scent fill her every shaking, sob-filled breath. She clutched tightly to his shirt, feeling his arms wrap protectively around her while he nuzzled her hair. "Promise you'll be safe," she whispered. "Promise you'll come back."

"I'll always come back to my Bunny," Gajeel whispered back. "Can't promise I'll be safe, but I _will_ come back."

Lucy sniffled and laughed, then said, "Yeah… Black Steel and 'safe' really don't belong in the same sentence, huh?"

"Got that right," Gajeel said with a wicked grin. "Tell you what though… Those fucking Fairies are gonna pay for even _thinking_ about taking you. After this shit's settled with them, I'll be paying your old man a visit."

Lucy sighed and shook her head. "There's no need—"

"There damn well is," Gajeel growled. "I already told you. He's trying to take you away, and now he gets to see just what your Dragon can do. It's your choice, not his…"

Ryos, even with how frightened Lucy had become to cause her to cry, couldn't help but smile at the two older mages. Gajeel seemed to have no issue whatsoever laying claim to Lucy as his, and even going as far as saying that he was hers as well. It was one of the first signs of a mated pair, but Ryos knew that it just wasn't the case with them. Lucy and Gajeel honestly acted as though they were already mated, with each drawing strength or support from the other, and the possessive nature that Gajeel showed only seemed to add to that. One look at Lucy had Ryos confused: she seemed to relax every time he said something possessive like that, almost as if hearing that they were part of each other calmed the raging torrent of emotions inside of her. _If she reacts that way to what he says, then why doesn't he realize that she'll accept being his mate?_, Ryos wondered. "What's her choice?" he finally asked.

"I told you that my dad was trying to make me miserable for the rest of my life," Lucy said, turning her head and laying it over Gajeel's heart to hear the steady rhythm that seemed to soothe her. "He's trying to marry me off to someone."

"Why?"

"To make more money," Lucy whispered sadly.

"He doesn't give a shit about her, brat," Gajeel continued, giving Lucy a light squeeze, "He just wants some rich bastard to buy the right to marry her, then once it's all said and done he'll take her keys, and Bunny will be a fucking baby factory for whoever pays the most." When Ryos' face hardened, a low growl rumbling from the boy, Gajeel nodded and closed his eyes while he tried to comfort Lucy.

"But…" Ryos said with a frown, looking over at the weeping blonde, "You wouldn't want to be with whoever it is… Why would you have his children?"

"She would have to," Gajeel answered with a sneer. "It's what's expected of her if it happens. So not only is the bastard selling his daughter off like a fucking whore, he's selling her to get raped by some guy with Jewels pouring out of his damn pockets. All to make a quick fucking buck."

Ryos felt his instincts roaring to life inside of him, the desire to protect Lucy flaring in his veins and seeping through his body until he was growling in tandem with his inner dragon. Even the short lesson Gajeel had given him earlier seemed to have helped in making him more in tune with his instincts, and Ryos was suddenly very thankful for it. Lucy was his friend, and he refused to let someone try and take advantage of her in such a vile way. At times, it almost felt like she was more than just a friend to him, like she was the sister or mother he never knew. His human side told him that they had only really started talking a few days ago, that he couldn't possibly see her as someone so close to his heart in such a short amount of time. The image of Skiadrum popped into his mind with a grin, nodding emphatically and giving him the sense that she could really be his family if he allowed her. _Dragons protect their family,_ Ryos thought and saw Skiadrum's grin widen and a resoundingly approving growl sound through him.

"No," Lucy whispered, her fear disappearing altogether once Gajeel's words rang through her apartment and instantly being replaced with anger. "I'm not letting him scare me anymore…" She had spent her whole life either afraid, sad, or lonely because of the man that called himself her father when it suited him. Hearing Gajeel put her situation that way—that she was being sold like a common streetwalker and would essentially be stripped of her choice in who bedded her—made Lucy's blood boil. The anger inside of her swelled until she felt as though she would burst, and some deep part of her subconscious whispered that if her father ever came to his senses… She would forgive him. Lucy hated the idea of forgiving the man that had ignored her for so long, but he was still her father and she knew that she wouldn't be able to hold a grudge against him if he was truly remorseful.

"Bunny?" Gajeel asked slowly when Lucy uncurled herself from his lap with ghostly white knuckles and tightly clenched fists. He watched her carefully when the stomach-churning scent from her fear dissipated until his nostrils were nearly burning from the fiery rage that coursed through her. Her body was tense, but not from trying to keep anything hidden. The tension in Lucy seemed to screech that there would be hell to pay for whoever stood in her path. He had only seen her angry like this once, except it hadn't been nearly as intense then, and that was when he'd gone and bad-mouthed her mother in the rain. There was a barely concealed fury inside of her, nearly lighting up her skin while it coursed through her veins, travelled through her sinewy muscles, settled deep into her marrow.

Lucy turned her hardened gaze to Gajeel, hardly registering the wary way he eyed her, and said, "You know what happened the last time someone tried that shit with me, Gajeel." The men in the mountains would feel lucky if they could see what she did to the next person that tried to strip her of the choices she made. Her father not only wanted to take her freedom, her deep and passionate love for Gajeel, her sweet Ryos. He wanted to take her magic from her, to strip her bare of everything that identified her as a person until she was just some doll for a rich bastard to play with when he felt the desire to do so. "If I do end up back there, I'll fucking kill him myself. You're right, _no one_ is taking my choice away. The next person who tries will hardly have time to suck in enough air to scream out their agony while I tear them to pieces." When Gajeel grinned, wide and filled with malicious intent, she wiped the tears from her face, the sadistic smile that spread across it mirroring his, and added, "Make sure you show those Fairies just what my Dragon can do."

"That's what I was planning on doing," Gajeel said.

"No, Gajeel," Lucy said firmly, "I want them to suffer. Show them what happens when you piss off a dragon. If it was my mission, there wouldn't be any survivors… but I don't think Master wants you killing anyone this time around."

Gajeel stood up and wrapped his arms around Lucy, pulling her close to his chest. He sighed when her arms instantly molded around him, and said, "Trust me, they'll suffer plenty. No one threatens my crazy little Bunny and gets away with it."

Ryos looked at Gajeel and Lucy, unsure of what he should do. When the blonde pulled back and looked at him, then extended her arm and beckoned him closer, Ryos didn't even try to argue with it. He quickly stood up and walked over to her, and his eyes went wide when Gajeel's arm moved and wrapped around his shoulders while Lucy's wrapped around his waist, the pair pulling him closer to them in a comforting embrace. Ryos carefully laid his head on Lucy's shoulder and let the odd combination of her and Gajeel's scents fill every bit of him—creating a calm deep within that he hadn't felt in a long time. He had no clue how long the three of them stood there—each of the Slayer's holding onto Lucy in a silent promise to protect her, Lucy holding them both and letting her love for them wash over the room, and even Gajeel's simple embrace with Ryos that let the boy know that he'd been accepted in some fashion by the older mage—but after a long while, they all pulled back with small smiles on their faces as the tension in each of them faded into nothingness.

* * *

><p>After going to the guild to grab the boy's meager belongings, Gajeel and Ryos had come back to find Lucy taking a relaxing bath with a small radio playing old swing music from the X740s. Gajeel was surprised by her music choice, but he already knew that she liked pretty much everything she came across. When the trumpets started playing an octave too high for him and Ryos to comfortably sit inside, Gajeel went into the bathroom and told her that they'd be on the roof doing some more work on Ryos' magic in the hopes of figuring out how he could eat on his own. The sweet smile she gave him had stolen his breath away, the adoration and gratitude swimming in those chocolate doe eyes all but stealing every shred of his sanity and locking it in a box that left him floored in more ways than one. Gajeel's heart had hammered painfully hard in his chest while he knelt down on the floor and gave in to her silent plea. Gently cupping Lucy's neck, with a soft smile playing across his lips, Gajeel slowly closed the distance between them and allowed her sweet plump lips to glide softly against his in a tender caress; just his lips and hers, no sense of rushing to lead into more physical intimacy. In that moment, it was just the two of them and he couldn't have been happier. Once Gajeel found a way to break the connection between them, ending the kiss even though he wanted her in his arms, he grinned and stood up to walk out of the bathroom.<p>

The pair of Slayers carefully made their way onto the fire escape just outside of Lucy's single window in her apartment, then climbed up to the roof. Gajeel and Ryos sat on the roof of Lucy's apartment building, cross-legged and facing one another. "Alright, brat," Gajeel said with a deep breath, "We're surrounded by shadows now. You said your dragon told you to feel your magic gathering in your throat like you're going to roar, then to suck in the shadows around you."

"Right," Ryos answered, following Gajeel's lead and taking a deep breath as well. "But I can't seem to get it right. He said there was another way to do it, but I had to learn this way first."

"That's what we'll figure out before I leave on that mission. If you're going to keep an eye on Bunny Girl while I'm gone, then I need to know your magic is starting to get back to normal," Gajeel said. "First step is eating right, then we can work on everything else. Your magic is the priority, since honing the skills you need to maintain it will make everything else easier."

Ryos nodded. "What do I do first?"

"Turn to the side and act like you're going to roar," Gajeel said, "Point it up towards the sky so you don't damage anything if it slips out; don't beat yourself up if it happens. I want you to focus on how it feels. I'll walk you through it."

Ryos nodded again and turned to his side, facing towards the far end of the apartment building. He closed his eyes and started to focus his magic on his mouth just as Skiadrum taught him to do, tilting his head back in the process so that, if the attack was released, it would drift off into the sky above them.

Gajeel studied Ryos for a moment, then said, "Feel your magic welling up inside of you, traveling from the very center of your being. Search for the essence of your magic, your shadows. Let them grab onto you so you can pull them free."

Ryos furrowed his eyebrows in concentration, trying to follow Gajeel's instructions. He reached deep inside of himself, pushing past where he would normally go for his magic and delving further into himself to find the inky darkness that was the essence of his magic. The black, cloying shadows slowly rose in gentle tendrils, wisping lazily about and latching onto the invisible hand he'd used to reach for them.

"Good," Gajeel said softly, "Pull them up and let the shadows settle in the back of your throat, not in your mouth. Focus on how it feels while they travel through you, the power that radiates from your element."

Ryos pulled and found that only the smallest tug was needed to tell those inner shadows what he wanted. A chill swept through his body while the sooty blackness rose inside of himself like smoke from a chimney, and Ryos resisted the urge to shiver. He kept his mouth clamped shut while they gathered in his throat, felt a few small tendrils wriggling up through his nasal cavity and leaking from his nostrils while he waited for Gajeel's instructions.

"Don't forget to breathe," Gajeel added when he saw a few small wisps leaking from the boy's nose, looking for all he was worth like a real dragon right then.

Ryos slowly inhaled, realizing that his lungs had been screaming for the oxygen, and felt the shadows settle back down from his nose and into his throat again. They swirled lazily, creating a black orb that he could clearly picture in his mind. The power from those shadows slowly increased the longer he held them there, and he honed in on just what it felt like. It was truly indescribable, and now Ryos understood why Skiadrum had a hard time teaching the young boy about his magic. They were intangible, but still felt as if they were chilled hands and fingers that lightly stroked over everything they touched.

"Alright, keep it there and feel the shadows around you. Find the similarities between them and your own shadows."

Ryos opened his senses and tensed when he refused to open his mouth on a gasp, instead inhaling sharply through his nose. Once he had his magic swelling in him, the surrounding shadows seemed to be begging for his attention, practically clawing their way into him. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel where each shadow ended and began as the light of the half-moon above them shone down to create odd little shapes from the surrounding structures on the roof. The shadows begged him to let them in, to feed him what his body so desperately needed. At first, he was apprehensive when he thought he heard them speaking to him, but the longer he let the new sensations settle in, the more he realized that it wasn't the same disconnected and echoing voice filled with malice from the shadows he was supposed to ignore; what Ryos was hearing was his own body's plea for the nourishment he hadn't been able to give it.

"Here's where it's gonna get tricky," Gajeel said, his rumbling voice softer than normal, "Open your mouth slowly, and keep your magic in your throat."

Ryos' lips parted just slightly, his tongue darting out to wet them and his mouth actually watering at the thought of being able to finally do what he'd struggled with for years. A single tendril of his own shadows snaked out over his tongue as he let his jaw drop open, gliding lazily past his lips to test his surroundings. A second and third followed shortly after, and Ryos focused in again on keeping the ball of magic in his throat so it didn't shoot off an attack when he didn't want it to.

"Draw the shadows you felt into yourself," Gajeel said, furrowing his brow and hoping he was getting this right. It was frustrating to try and figure out how Ryos was supposed to eat his element when Gajeel had never struggled with it himself; then again, Gajeel had to only find a piece of metal and he was set. "Let your magic act like a beacon for them to follow. When you feel a connection between your shadows and the ones around you, pull your magic back down your throat and into you."

Ryos took another deep breath, letting the tendrils that had escaped his mouth search his surroundings again and again. They lengthened and felt along the ground, and when each of the three found a separate large shadow, Ryos' magic hummed in approval. It vibrated in his throat, the swirling seeming to speed up in anticipation of what was to come. The tendrils wrapped around the darkness outside of his body, and Ryos started to focus on pulling them back towards his mouth. He clenched his eyes tightly when his jaw involuntarily widened, a small popping noise sounding when the bone shifted to accommodate the amount of shadows he was taking in. His lips burned as they flew past, the tendrils snapping violently back into the magic in his throat and dragging his nourishment along with them. The force knocked him backwards, a loud thud sounding once his back met the concrete of the roof, and he gasped while his eyes shot open. It wasn't even a conscious thought to pull his magic back down into himself, it just happened on its own. Another chill washed over Ryos when he felt the new shadows settling into his body, filling in gaps that he hadn't known existed. He felt fuller than ever before in his life, and somehow ravenous. Like finding an oasis in the desert, Ryos' magic wellspring thrived under the nourishment he'd consciously provided, and the boy's mouth opened on a silent scream while more shadows jumped from all around him and down his throat. It was much more subdued than this when his body forced the shadows in from him not eating them, and Ryos couldn't understand what was happening. When his body pulled the shadows into him before, when it was happening so he could survive, only a few would be sucked in to leave him feeling less sickly and much more rejuvenated. This time, it seemed as though his body was trying to pull in the shadows from all of Oak Town.

Gajeel's eyes widened while he watched Ryos' back arch painfully off the ground as more and more of his element forced its way into his frail body. "Shit," he muttered, rushing over and seeing only the whites of Ryos' eyes as they rolled back in his head. "Cut it off, brat," Gajeel said firmly.

No response. More shadows filled him in a violent surge, causing his body to tremble under the onslaught.

"Brat, cut off your magic," Gajeel growled.

Nothing. A keening cry could just barely be heard on the wind, whistling past Gajeel and barreling towards the boy on the ground. Ryos' slight quivering suddenly became a full-body spasm, his limbs somehow tensing painfully and thrashing wildly around while he tried to stop what was happening. He'd lost control, felt himself being filled to the brim with the shadows he had so desperately needed before, and yet he craved more of them. Ryos was torn between actively trying to bring more of his element into himself to feed the feral hunger deep within and fighting to stave the swell of magic so he could breathe. His mind whirled with its indecision, stuck in limbo and teetering from one choice to the other, and he didn't know if he would be able to stop it.

"Ryos, fucking control your shit!" Gajeel yelled, roughly clamping his calloused hand over Ryos' mouth while the other shot up to close his jaw. Once the shadows stopped flying towards the boy, his sweat-slicked body collapsed to the rooftop beneath them, still shaking and twitching every few seconds. Gajeel made just enough room with his hand for the boy to breathe through his nose and sighed in relief when he finally saw those familiar red slitted eyes looking up at him. "Fucking hell," he grumbled, sitting back and unceremoniously plopping himself on the ground.

Ryos was panting heavily, trying to give his lungs all of the oxygen they had been deprived of, and his whole body felt sore. The tension had mounted until he felt like he would snap, and now each and every muscle was groaning its disapproval while he rolled onto his side to try and pull himself into a sitting position.

Gajeel frowned when Ryos' shaking hands pushed on the rooftop to bring himself upright, seeing the way his body protested even the slightest movement. "Just relax," Gajeel said when several attempts left the boy panting harder and falling back down. "Can you talk?"

Ryos' brows furrowed while he tried to speak, finding his throat was incredibly raw and he couldn't seem to push more than air in and out of his body. He slowly shook his head, then regretted it when it started pounding furiously. His eyes clenched, his eyebrows drawing downward, and a hand shot to his forehead in a sad attempt at quelling the pain.

"Damn," Gajeel whispered with a frown. "I'm gonna take you inside. We'll see if Bunny knows how to help, okay?"

Not willing to risk moving his head again, Ryos gave Gajeel a small thumbs up to let the older Slayer know he agreed with the plan. He hardly registered being hoisted into the muscular arms of the Iron Slayer, only faintly noticed the soft breeze that brushed past them while Gajeel carefully descended the fire escape and managed to crawl back through Lucy's window. The sweet scent that he instantly recognized as Lucy filled his nostrils, and he was suddenly thankful that the music she'd been listening to was turned down to a much more manageable volume.

"Bunny," Gajeel called out, hearing Lucy in the bathroom pulling on her clothes for the night. "Got a problem out here."

Lucy frowned and pulled the door open once she was dressed, then her eyes went wide when she saw Ryos in Gajeel's arms. "Shit, what happened?" she asked worriedly, rushing over to the pair as Gajeel laid Ryos down on her bed. "Ryos, are you okay?"

"Took in too much of his element at once," Gajeel said, running a hand over his face.

"I didn't realize that could even happen."

"I didn't either," Gajeel admitted, "But based on what fucking happened up there, that's the only explanation I can come up with."

Lucy nodded and sat down next to the boy, brushing his hair from his face and gently cupping his cheek. "Can you tell me what happened?" Lucy asked Ryos softly.

When Ryos frowned, his eyes closed and his breathing still shaky, Gajeel sighed. "Everything seemed to be fine up until he tried to pull the shadows he'd gotten back into himself," he said, sitting down in a chair at the table and watching Ryos and Lucy. "He lost control of his magic, and it just kept pulling more and more into him. Knocked him back pretty hard. I had to close his mouth for him just to get it to stop. He couldn't talk afterwards, and I'm pretty sure he's in some serious pain right now from how he was thrashing around before."

Lucy nodded, running her thumb over Ryos' cheek. She took in the sweat that glistened on his face and in his hair, how there seemed to be more color in his cheeks than she'd ever seen before, and noticed how his eyebrows were drawn together. Lucy gently held one of his hands, then said, "Okay, squeeze once for yes, and twice for no. I need to find out what's wrong so I can help you."

One squeeze.

Lucy smiled, then turned to Gajeel. "Can you make some tea?"

"Sure, Bunny," Gajeel said with a nod, pausing to kiss the top of her head before making his way to the kitchen.

"Does your throat hurt?" One squeeze. "That's why you can't talk right now?" Another squeeze. "And your head hurts?" A squeeze. "Do you feel sick at all?"

Ryos paused and tried to figure out if he actually felt sick. He almost always felt a little queasy, but that was more from not eating than anything else. There was still an ache in his stomach, one that begged for him to eat something, but he wasn't nauseous. He squeezed Lucy's hand twice.

"Did Gajeel help you figure out how to eat?" she asked.

He squeeze once, but grimaced when he thought of what happened.

Lucy giggled softly. "I understand. You'll get there. Are you feeling better than before though? As far as your magic?"

One more squeeze.

"Good. We're gonna get you in the bath and cleaned up, then you can have some tea for your throat. Sound good?"

One squeeze.

"Bunny, if you think I'm gonna let you strip him down and put him in the bathtub, you're fucking high," Gajeel called out. "I'll be there in a second."

Lucy rolled her eyes with a smile. "Yes, _dear,_" she teased, laughing when a low growl sounded from the kitchen. "Are you willing to bathe him?" Two squeezes on her hand had Lucy turning to look back at Ryos. "What's wrong?"

"I…m… fi-ine…" Ryos rasped.

"Ryos," Lucy said softly, "It's perfectly fine to accept help when you need it. Whether you do it yourself or one of us helps you, I'm not letting you in there alone just in case."

"She's got a point, brat," Gajeel said as he walked out of the kitchen and picked up the boy. "I've got him, Bunny Girl."

Lucy nodded and grabbed Ryos' clothing from his bag, settling it on the counter in her bathroom before closing the two Slayers inside and walking back to the kitchen. Around twenty minutes later, the tea was already on the table and waiting for them when Gajeel slowly walked Ryos out of the bathroom. Lucy watched as Ryos was led to the same chair he'd been in during dinner, and she set a teacup in front of him. "It's got honey in it and a little lemon. It'll help make your throat feel better."

Ryos nodded and picked up the cup, holding it just under his nose and letting the steam rise up and clear away a little of the headache he was still sporting. After a few sips, he already felt better. The ache in his stomach was actually diminishing as the warm, soothing liquid filled him up, and the honey coated his raw throat perfectly.

Once the trio finished with their tea, and the used dishes were washed, Lucy led Ryos to the bed. She carefully tucked him in, smiling softly when he looked up at her sleepily. "Get some rest, okay? We'll see how you feel in the morning. Gajeel and I will be up on the roof for a bit."

"Thanks, Lucy," Ryos whispered, smiling when she giggled and kissed his forehead. The room was instantly bathed in darkness, with only a small light on Lucy's desk to break up the utter blackness that would have consumed the apartment.

Gajeel smirked and grabbed the two throw blankets from Lucy once they were on the fire escape, then led her up to the roof. He laid one blanket out and settled himself on top of it, smirking when Lucy laid down and nestled closer to him, then set the other off to the side in case she got too cold later on.

"You know, you've been a sweetheart today," Lucy said softly while they looked up at the stars.

"Don't know what you're talking about," Gajeel answered, wrapping his arm around her.

"Sure you do," Lucy whispered, resting her chin on Gajeel's chest with a smile. "Ever since we left the guild today, you've been nice. Even to Ryos."

"Yeah, well… Keep that shit to yourself," Gajeel mumbled, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

Lucy giggled and shook her head. "You're ridiculous, you know," she whispered as she turned back to looking at the sky.

"You love it."

"Damn right I do," Lucy said happily. "Just like you love me being a psycho."

Gajeel laughed and said, "So you finally admit that you're a psycho?"

"Yep."

"Then, yeah. I love it, Bunny." Gajeel sighed and looked at the sky above them, smiling when he was actually able to identify some of the constellations he saw by name.

"Are you ready for this mission, Gajeel?" Lucy asked after several silent minutes.

"Ready as I'll ever be, Bunny," Gajeel answered. "I've got those blueprints memorized, just like Master wants. And now I've got even more of a reason to handle those fucking Fairies. All I need are the actual orders, and I'm set."

"How long will it take?"

Gajeel rolled onto his side, wrapping his other arm around her waist and sighing when he felt her hands lightly trailing over his abs. "If it's just destroying the building, I'll have it done in no time. It depends on what Master wants me to do."

"You'd better use tactics, Black Steel," Lucy whispered with a frown as she snuggled closer to him. "I know you're strong as hell, definitely stronger than anyone they can throw at you, but you've gotta be smart about it too."

"Nothing to worry about," Gajeel whispered back. "I promised I'd come back, so I'll be doing whatever's necessary to keep that promise." When Lucy shivered against him, Gajeel chuckled and kissed the top of her head before sitting up. "Come on. Let's get some shut eye. I've got that meeting in the morning."

Lucy smiled and nodded, taking Gajeel's hand when he offered it to her, and being pulled roughly into his chest. She melted into him when his arms wound around her, with one across her lower back and the other across her shoulders and his hand tangling in her hair. His mouth ghosted over hers, causing Lucy's tongue to involuntarily flick out across her lips and nibble lightly on her lower lip while she looked into Gajeel's eyes. Placing her hands on his stomach, Lucy slowly walked him backwards until he was leaning against a half-wall that surrounded an industrial air conditioning unit for the building.

Gajeel watched a slow, seductive smile spread across Lucy's face just before her lips brushed across his chin and jaw to suck lightly on his earlobe. His grip on her hair tightened briefly, the hand splayed across her lower back sliding down under the band of her pants to gently massage one perfectly rounded cheek. He took a shaky breath as her hands moved to the hem of his shirt, carefully sliding it up his torso. Once Lucy pulled back just enough, Gajeel quickly dragged his shirt off and dropped it, instantly bringing his hands back to Lucy's luscious body.

Lucy kissed and nipped her way down onto Gajeel's chest, letting her hands roam freely over each perfectly cut muscle. Moving off to one side, Lucy slowly circled her tongue around his nipple, grinning when he gasped and shuddered at her attention there. One hand started to silently work on the buckle of his belt, then the fastenings on his pants. Her lips glided over to his other nipple, and she lightly sucked on it while her hand caressed his hardening member through his boxers.

"Oh, Bunny," Gajeel moaned softly, his hands slowly rubbing over every inch of her that he could reach while his eyes slid closed and his head fell backwards. He absolutely loved it when Lucy was the one to initiate anything between them, and the way she could so easily stoke the ever-present embers of his desire for her into a raging inferno was absolutely captivating. She teased him into a state of arousal, taking her time in every action to prolong the contact between them. She was still able to surprise him when both of her hands teased the piercings on his hips, slowly pushing his clothes further down his legs until they fell off of him while she left a series of wonderfully dark marks along his stomach. Gajeel hissed when the cool night air breezed over his proud member once it was freed, but all of the air in his lungs left him on a groan when her slender fingers closed over him.

Keeping one hand on Gajeel's hip to circle his piercings, Lucy slowly stroked along his length, fully enjoying the feel of each piece of metal that her fingers brushed over, and how starkly they contrasted with the smooth and silky flesh of his shaft. She carefully knelt down and ran her tongue from his base to tip again and again, making sure every inch of Gajeel's arousal was coated so her hand could move more easily over it. Lucy's eyes locked onto his and a devious grin spread across her face while she lowered her head even further and carefully sucked the tender flesh of his sac into her mouth. Another long moan fell from his lips while she circled her tongue over him, and she moaned in response only to hear a slew of curses and feel his legs beginning to quiver.

Gajeel couldn't believe it. There was just no way for him to wrap his mind around the fact that Lucy could have him so wound up without putting her sweet plump lips on his cock even once. He swore there was some hidden magic that she was using every time she went down on him, because there was just no other way for the woman to be that damn good. He wanted to tangle his hands in her hair and force his throbbing manhood into that sweet mouth of hers, but they were too busy gripping the half-wall behind him just to keep himself steady. His knees buckled once when she breathed hotly over the now thoroughly moistened flesh on his balls as her teeth lightly grazed them, her hands still slowly pumping away at his cock and teasing the piercings in his hip, but he managed to steady himself just in the nick of time. Lucy was a fucking goddess in his eyes, there were no two ways about it. How else could she possibly manage to bring him such an insane amount of pleasure from doing so much at once? Gajeel didn't even try to suppress his moans, how harshly his breath was coming already, or just how badly he wanted her when her eyes finally locked onto his. "Bunny," he panted, "Don't fucking tease me."

"I'm not teasing you," Lucy whispered, her lips brushing over his shaft. She took him into her mouth, pushing every inch of his throbbing shaft down and into her throat briefly before she pulled away to kiss the piercings on the opposite hip. Her thumb brushed over the small slit to catch a large droplet of precum and spread it down over him, and Lucy felt completely empowered by just how much she was able to affect him. "Tell me what you want," she rasped before sucking the skin just next to his piercings into her mouth.

"Fuck," Gajeel groaned, rocking his hips and grunting when her hand tightened around him.

"What can I do for you, Gajeel?" Lucy purred, her lust-filled gaze trailing up his body and taking in each and every delectable detail before landing on his face. His blood red eyes seemed to glow in the darkness that surrounded them, making him seem wilder than she'd ever seen before. A thrill of excitement shot through her on a direct path to her core, causing heat to pool low in her belly and a soft moan to spill from her at just the thought of being ravished by this man.

A wickedly dangerous grin made an appearance on Gajeel's face when her arousal wafted up on the night air. "Give me that hot mouth, Bunny," he growled, grunting and finally dropping a hand to her head when her lips instantly closed over him. "Shit, Bunny… Just like that…" Gajeel's grip tightened slightly, and he pushed her head faster and faster. "God, you're so fucking good… O-Oh, shit!" Gajeel's eyes widened, the hand still holding himself up on the wall gripping so tightly that it finally crumbled, when Lucy pulled her bottom lip over her teeth and very intentionally grazed him from base to tip with her top teeth as she plunged even faster and harder.

Lucy felt Gajeel's body tensing in preparation for his release, and she slowed down with her hands gently massaging his thighs. She listened to his ragged breathing, felt his grip on her head lessening, and knew that he was perfectly fine with her stopping right there—since they both wanted his release shooting deep inside of her.

"You have no idea what you do to me," he panted while Lucy slowly stood up in front of him.

"The same thing you do to me, Black Steel," Lucy whispered seductively while her hands slid over his body. "Crazy, begging for more, and completely wild."

Gajeel grinned and brought Lucy closer, his hands instantly sliding down to rid her of her pants and panties while his mouth closed over hers. With her chest pressed tightly to his and one arm wrapped around her waist, Gajeel's free hand slid down and over her bared backside, dipping between her legs to tease her entrance with the tips of his fingers. She whimpered against his mouth and tried to spread her legs to grant him better access, but Gajeel chuckled and pushed her thighs together, giving his hand extremely limited mobility while his fingers continued flicking and flitting over her before pushing just a little closer to that tight, dripping passage that was begging to be filled. When her back arched, pushing her ass further out to give him better access, Gajeel's other hand slid down to press her hips against his as he pushed one finger inside of her.

Lucy moaned when she felt that single digit slowly invading her, the sensitivity of her core increased as even her outer lips were pressed tightly together. Once fully sheathed, Gajeel circled his finger in a slow, sensual dance that perfectly matched the pace of his tongue gliding against hers. The feeling of his rough, calloused hand sliding up and under her shirt while he set a torturously slow pace with that digit inside of her set her nerves firing off and a shiver running down her spine, clenching her sex and sending heat all through her body. Lucy knew that she would never get enough of Gajeel, and vaguely wondered just how it was possible for him to have this gentle side that was willing to move slowly and carefully ramp up her arousal. Her hands roved over his body, dipping between his muscles and then sliding up to gently cup his cheeks. "Gajeel," she moaned softly against his lips, her body beginning to tremble from her inability to move.

"Tell me what you want," Gajeel whispered, quickening his pace just a little while he kissed across her jaw. He was still painfully hard, and the way Lucy still tried to shift and wriggle to bring her release just a little faster, with her body brushing against his straining manhood, was driving him mad. "What can I give my Bunny?"

Lucy smiled, her eyes closing for a moment while she basked in the sensations that flooded her, then rubbed her cheek along his and whispered, "Just love me."

Gajeel grinned and withdrew his hand from her sex, then grabbed her hips and lifted Lucy up. Instead of her legs wrapping around his waist, he realized that Lucy's thighs were settled on the half-wall behind him, lazily draping over it while her core hovered over his cock. Using one hand to guide himself to her entrance, Gajeel slowly lowered her down onto him, groaning when he felt her walls already gripping every inch of him so tightly. He brought his lips to hers once he was fully sheathed, rocking his hips in time with each roll of hers. "Always," he whispered back.

Lucy couldn't tear her gaze away from Gajeel's while he gripped her ass and helped her move over him, only managing short strokes deep inside of her that still had her gasping out his name. She flexed her thighs to bring him a little closer each time, just that small bit deeper to brush over the spot only he'd been able to find inside of her that made Lucy's sex quiver. Her hands dropped to the hem of her shirt, cursing its existence when she realized it was causing her to miss out on Gajeel's skin sliding against her. She slowly slid it up and off, watching Gajeel unconsciously lick his lips when her breasts were completely bared before him.

Gajeel watched in awe of the blonde, her love for him sitting plainly on her face and radiating from deep within her. Never in his life had he imagined that something so perfect could happen to him, always having his feet kicked out from beneath him once he'd managed to right himself again. Lucy was the first woman to ever have shown him that there was more than just a rough in-and-out fuck, that there was more to life than what he'd thought he already had figured out. She was everything that he needed in this life and the next, and Gajeel felt a foreign thickness clogging his throat while he admired her in the pale moonlight that only made her seem to glow from within. She was radiant, beautiful, sexy as hell, and all his for as long as she would allow it. He knew then that he would only ever care as deeply as he did for Lucy, no one else would be able to touch his heart the way she had. "Lucy," he moaned when that familiar tingle started to slide down his spine, then lowered his head to her neck and lavished every bare inch of it with tender kisses and nips while he worked his way down her chest.

Lucy's breath caught in her throat when her name passed his lips. Only twice had he ever said her name, her real name and not the nickname she'd come to love. It was obvious to her how he was feeling about something when he spoke to her: 'Bunny Girl' was when he was distant, 'Bunny' when Gajeel was being much more endearing, and finally 'Lucy'… She'd all but begged him to say it the first time, but this time she had no clue what made Gajeel say it. Her back arched once his tongue started its searing path over her breast to circle her already pebbled nipple, and the sensation of his hot mouth closing around it, warming it from the chill in the air, had Lucy's head tipping back and her hands tangling in his hair. "Gajeel," she whispered back, her voice thick and husky, "I love you so much."

Gajeel's chest clenched at her heartfelt admission, and his lips hovered over her while he smirked and said, "I love you more." The quick tightening of Lucy's sex around him had his head shooting up and his mouth crashing to hers, moving with more urgency than before while her hips bucked. Answering with a deep growl, Gajeel pulled her almost completely off of his shaft before forcing her roughly back down onto him. No matter how often they tried to move slowly, eventually one or the other would end up starting the fast and rough pace they had grown so accustomed to. Gajeel loved the way he was able to appreciate each and every voluptuous curve of Lucy's body while he took his time with her, but there was only so much he could do before that beast inside of him wanted to be let out to play.

"Again," Lucy whimpered, trying her best to lift herself up. In one swift motion, Gajeel spun them around so she was propped precariously on the ledge he had been leaning on, the cool feeling of the concrete against her bare backside heating up the rest of her body. Her arms wrapped around his neck while Gajeel pulled back slowly before slamming himself into her warmth, causing her back to arch and a sharp cry to fall from her lips. Again and again, withdrawing slowly and ramming back in, Lucy's body trembled from each shot of ecstasy that pushed her higher and higher towards that glorious precipice. Each piercing in his shaft pushed against her walls in just the right way, slowly massaging them while he withdrew, and when Gajeel filled her again it nearly felt as if they were vibrating as they brushed past with how quickly he moved.

"Fuck," Gajeel groaned, moving just a little faster when he felt her slowly tightening around him. He knew there was no way he'd be able to keep up with the punishing pace he was ready to start on her in this position, so Gajeel settled himself deeply within her core and picked Lucy up to carry her over to the previously forgotten throw blanket. It wasn't that far from them, but each step he took had Lucy bouncing just enough to start fraying his control, and the sounds she made… Oh sweet god, those sounds were absolute torture. He carefully laid her on the blanket, rolling his hips and slanting his mouth over hers as her nails started digging into his shoulders.

As Gajeel began moving faster, jolting Lucy's body with each powerful snap of his hips, her back arched while she tried to match his pace. Her mouth tore away from his when she realized just how close she was to her release, her eyes staring into his with fire blazing in their depths. Forcing his head down and roughly sucking on the piercings in his ear, she was surprised when her next words came out sounding nearly as feral and wild as Gajeel did from time to time. "Harder," she growled, grinning when she could feel the shiver that ran through him, "Fuck me like the dragon I know you are."

Gajeel snarled wildly, his skin itching to shift into the scales she had wanted to feel before until he couldn't stop it from happening. He pulled his head up to give her a wicked grin, watching her eyes widen in shock once she saw him covered in metal before her expression darkened into one of pure lust. "Oh, I'll give you a fucking dragon," he growled, shuddering when her walls quivered around him. Abandoning any previous tenderness, even though neither of them knew whether it would be painful for her like this, Gajeel pistoned violently into her soaking depths, feeling himself ready to fill her to the brim and pump his hot liquid deep inside any minute.

Lucy moaned loudly, her eyes rolling back and her hands gliding effortlessly over the cool metal of Gajeel's arms and chest, once he started moving. There was no buffer for her to adjust to how different his now extremely hard member felt while he fucked her senseless, but she instantly noticed that the piercings on his shaft and hips were the only things that didn't change—something she was highly thankful for since all of Gajeel's other piercings became spikes of varying lengths that would definitely tear her to pieces. It was a lot like the iron toy he'd made for her, how brutal and unyielding his cock had become once it shifted into pure metal, and some small part of Lucy's mind wondered if he'd done it on purpose to see if she enjoyed it before actually doing this with her. "M-More!" she shouted breathlessly, gasping when his metallic teeth glinted in the moonlight while he grinned down at her again.

Gajeel's hands dropped to her hips, gripping them carefully enough so his claws didn't dig into her flesh and so he didn't accidentally crush her bones, and he angled himself slightly while forcing her down onto him. He was glad that he'd made that rod for her to use before, because now he knew just which spots would drive her absolutely insane as he brushed over them. He'd never realized that using his magic this way would actually make each thrust into her more pleasurable for him; her sex was coating his metal shaft in her arousal so that he glided more easily than ever before, and it took everything he had to hold off long enough for her to finish with him. Lucy wanted all of him, for him to lose control, to let his inner dragon _really _come out even in the form of his scales, and Gajeel knew that if he hadn't already fallen for her, then this would have been the moment he did. "Come on, Bunny…" he growled against her neck, his lips the only portion of his mouth he would allow to touch her like this, "Mmph… I wanna hear you scream." He wanted her just as wild and uninhibited as he was, the sound of his growls and moans getting louder and louder while he plunged between her slick folds.

And scream she did. Lucy couldn't care less that they were outside, on top of her apartment building, and that the whole neighborhood would be able to hear her. Her eyes were clenched as he exacted a punishing pace on her sex, driving harder and faster with each thrust, his hands digging into her hips and lifting them off of the blanket. He'd never filled her so fully before, pushing into her core until he was hitting the end of her. Lucy's legs trembled, but she used the little strength she possessed to pull them up and hook them over Gajeel's shoulders. She cried out even more when he was fully sheathed in her sex and started grinding her against him, rubbing her clit over and over against his pelvis while he discovered an earth-shattering sweet spot inside of her. She gasped for air between her cries and curses, the tension in her body mounting until she finally shattered, her eyes shooting open to lock onto Gajeel's and his name tearing from her throat so loudly that she was already feeling hoarse.

Gajeel roared out her name, her real name for the first time during his climax, and instantly shifted back from his scales when he thrust into her one final time. He carefully set her legs back down before nearly collapsing on top of her, holding onto Lucy's trembling body protectively and shuddering with each violent pulse of his shaft as she milked every drop of him into her spasming sex. He was panting heavily, fighting to catch his breath, but Gajeel lowered his head to her neck and peppered her with soft, reverent kisses while she clutched onto him for dear life and whimpered softly. When he shifted to get a little more comfortable, propping himself up just a little more so he knew she wasn't being crushed, the small jostle had her sensitized body quivering and another loud moan breaking through the sudden stillness of the night.

"Best… sex… ever," Lucy panted against Gajeel's shoulder, laughing lightly when she heard him chuckle.

"More than sex, little Bunny," Gajeel answered with a fully sated grin as he nuzzled her neck tenderly.

"Yeah?"

"Hell yeah. Now I see what all the fuss is over making love to someone," Gajeel said, playfully nibbling on her neck. "First time we've done it without biting. I don't think I left a single mark on you this time."

Lucy smiled and nibbled on Gajeel's shoulder in return, earning another chuckle from him. "If I was allowed to bite you tonight, I would have done it in a heartbeat."

"You would?" Gajeel asked softly, knowing full well that they couldn't allow themselves to do it. He wanted her to be his, and knew that if he bit her tonight then he wouldn't be able to stop his magic from marking her, but Lucy had to know what it meant before they took that final step.

"Definitely," Lucy whispered happily, turning her head slightly to look into his eyes. "I love biting you, and when you bite me. Not to mention seeing that side of you, and hearing just what you're thinking. I almost thought you got me to bite you without knowing it with how you were acting earlier."

"You know I only do it to make you happy," Gajeel said with red staining his cheeks. He'd never put much thought into how differently he acted with Lucy than with anyone else, or even the way he used to act around her, but now that she'd brought it up Gajeel wasn't entirely sure what he should do about it. "Act that way, I mean… Without biting… And because I want to… Sometimes… Well, you know…"

Lucy giggled at how flustered Gajeel had become. This was most definitely a first. She had never seen him this way, and honestly hadn't thought it was possible. "Gajeel, are you embarrassed?" she teased.

"Shut it, Bunny Girl," Gajeel grumbled.

"Aww, don't be like that," Lucy said with a pout, giggling again when Gajeel lightly kissed her lower lip. "No need to be embarrassed for taking care of your Bunny."

"Well, how am I doing then?" Gajeel asked with a lecherous grin, though internally he was truly curious to see what she would say. Based on how happy she was right then, he could only assume that he'd done a damn good job in the sex department—and smugly thought, _Well no fucking shit_—but Gajeel had never tried, or wanted to try, to make someone smile without having his dick involved. He wanted to know if he was doing right by her when it wasn't about sex, and the fact that he didn't already know was genuinely aggravating.

"Perfect," Lucy answered with a blush. "You've got the happiest and most satisfied little Bunny in the world. You're most definitely a dragon—I'm sure of it now. I think you might need to fuck me with your scales more oft—"

Gajeel stopped those wonderful words from passing her lips because he just couldn't hold himself back. He swelled with pride in both his magic and ability to please the woman he wanted as a mate, and needed to feel those perfect lips of hers pressed against his. Gajeel could feel Lucy smiling into the kiss, and he forced himself to move slowly even though he wanted nothing more than to show her just how much he loved what she'd said.

"I guess… I said… Something right," Lucy giggled between kisses, smiling when Gajeel returned to nuzzling her neck and hummed his agreement.

"What about otherwise?" he asked slowly.

"Huh?"

"When we're not fucking," Gajeel said, lightly squeezing her as he rolled onto his side and pulled the spare throw blanket over himself and Lucy. He propped his head on his hand, then carefully brushed a few stray hairs behind her ear, and saw the corners of her mouth turn up into a soft smile. "I've never done anything like this, Bunny. Hell, I don't even know what _this_ is… But, I guess… I want to make you happy. I'm definitely not the right guy for the job, since you piss me off all the goddamn time and we end up in a fist fight over it, but…" Gajeel stopped and sighed in frustration that he couldn't seem to find the words that would make Lucy understand what he was trying to say. It was so damn easy in his head, thinking of what he'd tell her or how a conversation about what he was thinking would go. Of course, as soon as he tried to get the damn words out, Gajeel was drawing a blank and sounding like an idiot.

Lucy giggled lightly, then shook her head when Gajeel glared at her. She pulled a hand out from under the blanket and pressed her fingers to his lips when he opened his mouth to start in on her for laughing, then said, "You're doing just fine, Gajeel. You do make me happy." She let her fingers brush over the piercings in his chin, then brushed her thumb back and forth across his jaw. "We might fight—a lot—but you always know how to make me smile when it counts. Every time you hold me, I'm happy. Just thinking about you _usually_ makes me happy… unless I'm thinking about how much of an asshole you are." She paused and giggled again when Gajeel rolled his eyes. "I don't know where you got it in your head that you're not cut out for doing it, since you've done a great job so far. I don't just love you because you're a genius in bed; I love you because you're sweet, funny, sarcastic as hell, rough around the edges, and you understand me in a way that no one else has ever come close to doing. If I didn't have you, I don't know what I would have done with what's going on with my dad. You really helped me keep my shit together…"

"You would have made it through somehow," Gajeel said softly, wrapping his arm around her and tracing slow circles over her bare skin beneath the blanket. "You're a fighter, Bunny. You don't need me to protect you from everything out there…"

Lucy sighed happily when he pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her, nestling his nose in her hair.

"You might not _need_ me for it, but…" Gajeel paused, closing his eyes and letting her scent wash over him. "But, I'm glad you trust me enough to do it. It really means a lot to me, Bunny. More than you could ever know."

Lucy smiled and listened to the steady beating of his heart. "Of course I trust you," she whispered. "I hope you'll do the same someday."

"I do trust you."

"I know you trust me," Lucy whispered, lightly squeezing him with a sigh, "You're still closed off sometimes, and I understand why. Just know that if you ever need it… If you need someone to be there for you no matter what… I'm here. Thick and thin, you've got me."

"Really?" he asked uncertainly, his glaring insecurity and fear of abandonment rising yet again. "No matter what?"

Lucy nodded and kissed just over his heart. "Really," she answered. "You'll never have to be alone again, Gajeel. As long as I'm around, I'll make sure of it."

"Fuckin' hell, Bunny," Gajeel whispered, clenching his eyes tightly and holding Lucy closer while he felt an unfamiliar stinging in his eyes that he eventually realized were tears. He took a shuddering breath, filling his lungs with the scent of this insane woman that had captured his heart, and decided then and there that he'd, without a doubt, tell her everything she needed to know about what the bites really meant once things had settled down again. Once the threat of her being taken away was gone, Gajeel would lay it all out for her and hope to whatever god would listen that she'd accept it—and him—forever.

* * *

><p>"Ah, good," Jose said with a scowl that was completely at odds with his salutation, "You've come early."<p>

Gajeel nodded, crossing his arms over his chest and staying completely silent.

"I have a matter that I need to discuss with you." Jose sighed and shook his head while he looked out the window of his office. "First, where is she?"

"Crazy bitch wouldn't just stay at her place," Gajeel answered. "Something about _needing_ her daily smoothie or some shit. She's at the bar with the brat."

"The boy?" Jose asked.

"Yep, he says he'll keep an eye on her while I'm on the mission."

"I see," Jose said, then shrugged and cleared his throat. "The Fairies have officially taken a request that I cannot ignore. I need you to pay them a visit and give them a message for me."

"What's the request?"

"It seems Lucy's father has hired Fairy Tail to rescue his missing daughter—just as you said. It is being handled as an S-Class mission," Jose said. He looked over at Gajeel and saw pure rage flash in his eyes for the briefest of moments before it disappeared. _Perfect._ "You know what to do, Gajeel. Let them know we will not take threats lightly. I want them to know who the superior guild is, and that they won't succeed in taking her from us."

"How destroyed are we talking?" Gajeel asked. "I can probably collapse the whole damn thing with all those weak points she found."

Jose nodded, stroking his chin slowly then grinned. "Don't _completely_ destroy it. Just enough to let them know Phantom Lord isn't to be trifled with."

"Who took the request anyway?" Gajeel asked. "Who should she keep an eye out for?"

"Erza Scarlet."

Gajeel nodded, then said, "When do I leave?"

"Today. Stay hidden, and don't let them know you're there until it's too late. I want you back by morning."

With a wicked grin, Gajeel nodded and said, "Trust me, they'll get the message loud and clear."

Just as Gajeel was walking toward the door, Jose said, "Erza is to be back in Magnolia tomorrow morning from a previous mission, then she will leave immediately and come to collect Lucy. You must be out of Magnolia before she returns."

"Not a problem," Gajeel said, then made his way up into the rafters when he saw that Ryos had gone back to sitting up there instead of next to Lucy at the bar. "What're you doing up here?" he asked.

"Watching her," Ryos said with a smile, "And I put your bag up here so no one would see it."

Gajeel chuckled and said, "I've gotta head to my place and pack a couple things."

"And put those sheets somewhere," Ryos muttered with a smirk, his amusement at the older Slayer's attraction to Lucy glimmering in his eyes.

"Damn straight," Gajeel said with a smirk of his own. "I'm leaving on the next train, so I don't have time to say anything to her. Just let her know I'll be back in the morning."

Ryos nodded, then turned to look at Lucy again. "She'll be worried all day, you know."

"I know," Gajeel said with a sigh. "She should be safe for today, so just spend time with her. The mage that's coming isn't supposed to be back until tomorrow from another mission."

"What should we do then?"

"Whatever you guys want," Gajeel answered. "You need to take it easy for the next few days though while your body gets back to normal. She'll help you out later on if you wanna try eating your element again." Gajeel looked at Lucy one last time, wishing he didn't have to leave at all, then added, "Just do what you can to keep her smiling. I'll see you guys in the morning." With that, he grabbed his bag and snuck out of the guild to head to his apartment. _I'll make them suffer for threatening her, _Gajeel thought, _No one fucks with a dragon and gets away with it._

* * *

><p><strong>Holy crap on a cracker guys. I got this out much faster than I'd anticipated! I hope you liked it! Next chapter will be Gajeel's mission, and boy-oh-boy I can't wait to write it!<strong>

**So, how was this one? Some serious fluff (again), but also random dragon things! And look, A LEMON!**

**Review, Follow, Favorite! I love you guys!~~GemNika, **_**Citric Chancellor of the CFLA.**_

**-CFLA ladies: I love you so damn much.**

**-To my Triplets: You're both insane.**


	12. Dragons Protect What's Theirs

**A/N: Get ready, guys. It's time for Gajeel's mission!  
><strong>

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS RATED M FOR SOME SERIOUSLY MESSED UP STUFF! THERE'S VIOLENCE, SWEARING (duh), AND A WHOLE BAG OF NOT-NICENESS COMING! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!**

**Side note: Gajeel doesn't get motion sickness until GMG (where he says it's the first time it's ever happened, and Sting says he's finally a real Dragon Slayer), so he's not affected by it during the Phantom Arc.**

**Side note 2: I've got a headache now, but I really want to get this posted. If there are any errors, I'm sorry. I just really wanted to get this out to you guys!**

**(I don't own Fairy Tail.)**

* * *

><p>"<em>Whatever you guys want," Gajeel answered. "You need to take it easy for the next few days though while your body gets back to normal. She'll help you out later on if you wanna try eating your element again." Gajeel looked at Lucy one last time, wishing he didn't have to leave at all, then added, "Just do what you can to keep her smiling. I'll see you guys in the morning." With that, he grabbed his bag and snuck out of the guild to head to his apartment. 'I'll make them suffer for threatening her,' Gajeel thought, 'No one fucks with a dragon and gets away with it.'<em>

~.~

By the time Gajeel walked off of the train in Magnolia, he was absolutely furious. He'd gone to his apartment as soon as he left the guild and laid Lucy's sheets down on his bed before packing a spare set of clothes and some metal to munch on, then made his way to the train station. That was where the problem really started. The train to Magnolia was a four-hour ride. That's four whole hours of him being cooped up with only his thoughts to entertain himself, and since all of his thoughts were revolving around Lucy's current predicament, Gajeel found that his anger started to increase the longer he thought about it.

He made his way through the train station, shouldering past everyone that stood in his way and then stuck to alleys and rooftops to keep a low profile. He wanted to scout the guild hall, but it was barely past three in the afternoon. Instead, Gajeel went across town and found a nice abandoned building to settle in while he figured out his plan of attack. He threw his pack on the ground, then slumped against a wall and glared at the ground, flexing his hands into tight fists and releasing them over and over as he tried to form a plan.

A small pulse of magic resounded from the communication lacrima in his pocket, and Gajeel growled as he pulled it out, answering with a sneer and utter silence.

"Well, hey to you too, fuckface," Lucy said with a smirk.

Gajeel sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "What's up, Bunny?" he asked softly.

"Figured you'd be off the train by now," Lucy answered with a grin, leaning back against a pillow that Gajeel easily identified as her own.

"You're at home with the brat?" he asked.

Lucy nodded and smiled. "Safe and sound."

Gajeel smirked and shook his head at her. "Good to hear," he said.

"What's wrong?"

Gajeel raised a studded eyebrow at Lucy's question, and saw that god-forsaken concerned expression he couldn't ignore no matter how hard he tried. "I just spent four hours doing nothing but thinking about this shit that's going on… I'm pissed as hell, and ready to just say to hell with Master's plan."

Lucy frowned at Gajeel. "I said tactics, remember? Don't go all psychotic… That's my job." She finished with a wide, cheeky grin and was rewarded with a chuckle from the grumpy Slayer.

"Alright, Miss Psycho Tactician," Gajeel teased, "I'm supposed to send a message and stay hidden. What are your suggestions?" Gajeel was so focused on just killing every single Fairy he saw that he couldn't even begin to formulate some semblance of a plan. Maybe talking with Lucy would actually be helpful for him—she would have a clear head about the whole thing, and she was insanely good when it came to these types of missions. Tactics were the girl's forte, and Gajeel was more than willing to hear her out, especially with how well she had done on her own mission to just get information.

"Wait until nighttime if you're staying hidden," Lucy said, her brow furrowing in thought. "They close at different times every night, and open at the same time every morning. You'll need to scout at night to see when Mira Jane leaves. She's the one that closes and opens the guild."

"Which one is she?" Gajeel asked. There were far too many members that he honestly couldn't care less about for him to remember all of their names.

"Long white hair, blue eyes, sweet smile, huge tits," Lucy said. "She doesn't use her magic anymore, but she used to be S-Class before her sister died."

Gajeel grinned and said, "She sounds like an easy target."

Lucy nodded. "She would be, except she's accompanied every night by her younger brother, Elfman 'The Beast,' and Makarov. They're always the last three to leave. The earliest I saw them closing up was around ten, but they usually seem to be partying pretty late into the night."

"Damn," Gajeel grumbled. "I kinda want a fight… I need to blow off some serious steam here, and destroying that building isn't gonna cut it."

"How much does Master want you to do?" Lucy asked, looking away from the lacrima and nodding with a sweet smile.

"Not completely destroyed," Gajeel muttered. "Enough to let them know we're the top dogs, and they made a fucking mistake threatening to take a guild member."

"He said that?" Lucy asked with wide eyes.

Gajeel grinned and nodded. "Seems my crazy Bunny Girl is one of his new favorites," he teased, chuckling when Lucy glared at him. "He says with proper training you can be insanely powerful—that's why we went on that mission. He doesn't want to give up a strong mage that really could become the next S-Class, so he's taking the threat seriously."

"He was planning this before we found out about the threat, though," Lucy said with a blush. "And I'm pretty sure you and Juvia have lost your minds if you think I could become S-Class. I'm nowhere near you guys in that respect…"

"Uh, yeah," Gajeel said pointedly, "You fucking are. What you lack in magic ability in any given situation, you make up for in intelligence. What you lack in strength when it comes to hand-to-hand, you compensate with dexterity. Plus, you decked Sol in that meeting; that's gotta count for something. As far as Master planning this beforehand, it's probably just giving him one more reason to do it; he's had a beef with Makarov for years, so the threat just makes it seem less personal to him and more of a guild-wide effort or something."

Lucy grinned when Gajeel started complimenting her, and her grin stayed in place while Ryos sat down next to her on the bed with a book in his hands. "That does make sense," she said. "I'd say if he wants you to send a message, then collapse three or four key sections and then make the rest superficial ones. There's gonna be a good bit of destruction from the key points you do go after, so everything else should really just be for show."

"So," Gajeel said with a wicked grin, "Make it so they're not the only ones that see it."

"Exactly. All of Magnolia should be able to see that we're responsible," Lucy said with a nod. "If Master wants to make a statement, then why not shout that shit from the fucking rooftops?"

"I think I know just what to do, Bunny," Gajeel replied, chuckling and shaking his head. This was exactly what he'd needed: Lucy cracking jokes, forcing him to think straight, giving insight into Fairy Tail that would have taken him at least a month to memorize the way she had, and letting him see that she really was okay. He had been pissed off, absolutely infuriated, and ready to kill the next person he saw when she called. Now that he wasn't nearly as agitated, he was really glad that Lucy called him because just being able to see her did wonders for his mental state. He was definitely still angry about the threat to her freedom, but it was no longer turning his vision red from rage. "Too damn good…"  
>"Feeling a little better, then?" Lucy asked softly.<p>

"Nope. I'm still pissed the hell off," Gajeel answered. "I'm just gonna use it as more motivation. Maybe I'll get lucky and find a weak little Fairy to vent out my frustrations on…"

Lucy giggled, her eyes dancing with mirth and mischief. "Well, I would say that I pity them since I've been on the receiving end of your venting before… But, they fucking deserve to suffer."

"Hey, suffering's kinda my specialty, Bunny Girl," Gajeel chuckled. "I seem to remember someone saying they wanted me to do that, anyway."

"Aww," Lucy cooed dramatically, batting her eyelashes and daintily covering her mouth with her free hand. "You'd beat up a Fairy for little ol' me? My dear, you are _far_ too kind a gentleman."

"I'd do it regardless, Bunny," Gajeel said, his words halted for a moment while he openly laughed at her ridiculousness for the moment. "But, for you I'll make it extra special."

"Such a sweetheart, Gajeel," Lucy whispered, blushing and smiling gently at him. "Let me know if you find one, okay?"

"Of course," Gajeel said. "I'm gonna get going. I'll probably just get some lunch, and stay out of sight until it's dark… So, for another five hours… You guys have fun today."

Lucy playfully saluted, turning the lacrima slightly and laying her head on top of Ryos' while the younger Slayer looked up from his book to smile at Gajeel. "We're gonna see if Ryos can eat some shadows in a little while, and if he's feeling up to it we might even bake a cake."

"Didn't you two have enough yesterday?" Gajeel chuckled.

"No," Ryos said with a smirk. "Lucy apparently has a huge sweet tooth that our trip to the bakery unleashed. We'll be going grocery shopping in a little while for supplies to feed the monster we've created."

"Well, save me a piece for tomorrow then," Gajeel said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm not making any promises," Lucy retorted with a grin. "That sweet tooth monster is quite the ravenous beast."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Gajeel chuckled again. "Just be careful when you're eating those shadows, brat. Don't make my Bunny worry."

Ryos mimicked Lucy's earlier salute and nodded. "Got it. No worried Bunnies here," he said in mock solemnity, "I'll be careful."

"Sounds like a plan," Gajeel said before looking back at Lucy. "Keep an eye out for Erza, by the way. I forgot to tell the brat who took the mission. She's not supposed to be back in Magnolia until tomorrow morning, but just in case she came back early I want you to be on the lookout for her."

Lucy grimaced and nodded. "If I see her, I'll head straight to the guild and tell Master. No way in hell she'll be able to get past him."

"Smart girl," Gajeel said softly. "I love you, Bunny."

"I love you too, Black Steel," Lucy whispered with a soft smile. "Call me when you're on your way back, okay?"

"Sure. It'll be late, but I'll let you know when to expect me. Talk to you soon, Bunny," Gajeel said with a smirk.

"Later," Lucy said before the screen went dark as the connection was cut off.

Gajeel sighed and leaned his head back against the concrete wall, closing his eyes and letting his senses reach out to make sure no one was nearby. What he wanted was to be back in Lucy's apartment, holding and nuzzling her, marking her with his scent as much as possible while he took in that decadent sugar and almond concoction that was uniquely hers, joking around, getting into arguments, making up with wild and crazy sex. Most of all though, Gajeel wanted to tell her about the bites. A part of him worried that he should have told her before, especially because of how easily he could lose control if he wasn't extremely careful while he bit her.

At least if she knew about marking and mating for Dragon Slayers, had accepted his offer to make her his mate, he would know if she was in trouble. Gajeel had been told that he would feel it in his gut first: his instincts would roar to life with the urge to protect when she was merely threatened, and he'd be able to find her more easily so he could keep her safe. If she was injured, he'd feel it in his chest next, an ache that would grow into a searing pain that would lance through his whole body—radiating specifically where she was hurt. That feeling would make him go on a rampage until he found her, but at least he would know what was happening. If she was killed, he'd lose it completely though; it would be like someone had reached right through his ribs, tore his still-beating heart from him, and then squeezed it until the fucker popped. A Slayer's mate being killed was usually a death sentence for the Slayer once they'd found a sense of retribution for the passing of their loved one. He wouldn't want to live without her, wouldn't be able to find the motivation to continue on unless she'd had a child. That one small life would be the only saving grace for a "Fallen Slayer" that failed to protect what was his; carrying on his mate's memory in the life of their offspring would be his sole purpose in life after her death.

Lucy didn't know any of that though, and that was entirely Gajeel's fault. Maybe if he'd had the courage to tell her before he left, and give her time to think it over while he was on the mission, then he'd be able to return and get an answer. It would probably kill him if she was taken away during this whole ordeal with her father, but… If she had agreed to be his mate, then they would be married by the traditions of the dragons. Her father wouldn't be able to take her away if she was already married. Gajeel honestly didn't give a shit about something like that—about the concept of human marriages—because mating was on a much deeper level than any little ring on a finger and a legal document saying that you're together for life. Mating was inescapable and irreversible once completed. It wasn't for life, but for eternity. Mating tied two beings together in more than just the perceivable world; it tied their magic, emotions, state of being, existence, souls, hearts, fates, and everything else in between together. One thing that had always eased Gajeel's mind about the concept of mating was that _he_ and the woman he chose were in complete control over it. There was no sense of the word fate in the couple coming together. He and Lucy weren't _meant_ to be together, predestined long ago, or any insanely archaic garbage like that. Sure, Lucy was a great match for him—from how she reacted to the wilder side of himself and his magic, along with the positive results of biting, the way she was able to challenge him and never backed down, and even how she was able to break through the walls he'd built over the years and nestle herself deep in his heart—but if he didn't _want_ to mate with her then Gajeel didn't have to. Just like Lucy would have the choice to say she didn't want to become his mate after he told her about it all; it would probably completely shatter him if she said no, but she was still afforded that option. It was simple and manageable that way in his narrow scope of the world that considered only what affected his life.

Gajeel wanted to be with Lucy right then, not stuck in Magnolia and waiting for nightfall so he could carry out a mission for Master Jose on some insignificant Fairy Tail trash that wasn't even worth his time. If it hadn't been for the threat to take his snarky blonde bombshell away, Gajeel would have just gone through the motions of destroying the guild and been done with it. Instead, he was looking for vengeance on the shitty little fuckers that dared threaten what was his—the woman that had captured his heart, swore to be with him in a strange and childish promise, was willing to stick by his side through thick and thin, and the one woman that would hopefully let him cherish her forever. Gajeel knew he was a lot of horrible things—anti-social and violent, cruel and terrifying, ruthless, selfish, and hot-tempered, and any other number of negative characteristics—but Lucy somehow gave him the ability to give at least a single flying fuck about someone other than himself. It was because she'd wheedled her way into his heart, just by being who she was, that Gajeel found himself wishing he could be a gentler person at times. He was at least that way with her when she needed him to be, and maybe that was all that mattered. If she allowed him to mark her, Gajeel knew for a fact that he would do everything in his power to keep her happy, and not just from the dragon inside that would push him to do it, but from his own desire to make it happen.

When Gajeel finally opened his eyes again, he blinked repeatedly as he took in his darkened surroundings. "Son of a bitch," he mumbled, standing up and stretching. "Talk about losing track of time…" He grabbed his bag, then walked out of the building, instantly looking up to the sky to look at the stars. One of the huge bonuses of reading that constellation book Lucy had given him was that Gajeel had learned how to get a general idea of the time based on the constellations' brightness for that time of year and the moon's placement. He tended to check the night sky from time to time just to see how well he could do in figuring out what time it was, but he didn't have a clue right then. With a sigh, Gajeel scarfed down the metal he'd brought with him to give himself a little boost, then made his way across Magnolia over the town's rooftops to check out the Fairy Tail guild.

_Musty books… Too much cologne… Freshly tilled soil…_ Gajeel froze and dropped his bag silently on the roof he was perched on once those familiar scents wafted through the streets and into his sinuses. The scents were fading as if the people that he knew were associated with them had just passed through the area, and Gajeel grinned maliciously when he realized that he could easily follow them and get out some of his extra energy and frustration. _Plus, I can make my Bunny happy. _He knew just how he could make them suffer for being the cause of all of this bullshit. And fucking hell was he gonna have some serious fun with them.

Gajeel took in his surroundings, and saw that he was several blocks away from the guild he'd been ready to scout out. Turning to look in the other direction, Gajeel saw a library with a large clock that showed it was nearing ten at night. Considering he would be up a good portion of the night if the Fairies decided to party, he was glad he'd gotten some extra rest especially since he and Lucy had stayed up late the night before on the roof. Picking up his bag, Gajeel took a deep whiff of the night air, honing in on the most distinctive scent of the three: musty books. He could have used the cologne scent, but he really didn't feel like having a headache afterwards from how strong that shit was. The other man that accompanied the two had a scent that was too close to nature for him to feel comfortable pinpointing if they were surrounded by plants. Besides, he knew the little blue-haired chick was the one that smelled like books, and _she_ was the one that seemed to call the shots for the little trio. It had been her voice he'd heard when the Fairies followed him and Lucy to the guild, saying who Lucy was and then telling her companions that they needed to talk to Makarov. Little Miss Bookworm couldn't keep her mouth shut, and now Gajeel had a chance to help her out with it.

He kept to the shadows of the rooftops while he followed the three Fairies, observing them from a distance and grinning wickedly when he realized they were walking further and further from the guild.

"I still don't like this," Droy said with a frown. "Why would Master make it an S-Class mission just to get some rich girl?"

Jet rolled his eyes at Droy. "Maybe because that behemoth was carting her around like a sack of potatoes, then literally _threw_ her into Phantom's building?"

"So, why wouldn't he send a strong team to do it?"

Levy sighed and shook her head, stretching her arms out to the sides and enjoying the slight buzz of the alcohol she'd had at the guild. Not too much, but just enough to feel a little intoxicated and loosen up from the stress and worry she'd had over Lucy Heartfilia's predicament. "There aren't many teams, Droy. The Raijinshuu is out with Laxus, wherever he went off to this time. Then there's really only Shadowgear and Mickey's team. Erza's strong and definitely capable of getting Lucy out of there safely. We just have to believe in her."

Gajeel rolled his eyes at the ridiculous conversation they were having. _Fucking bleeding hearts,_ he thought sourly. They were all so worried about Lucy being kidnapped that they didn't even consider there might be more to the story about why she was missing. He sneered when he saw the way the blunette's companions' instantly cow-towed to her as if her words were the fucking gospel, and it made him sick to his stomach. The little bitch was the reason he was so angry in the first place. Sure, there was Lucy's dad that had requested someone find his daughter, Makarov who had accepted the request, Erza who would try and take his Bunny away… But the Know-It-All down there was the one responsible for the shitty turn of events. He could have easily attacked Fairy Tail's guild according to Master Jose's plan, then gone home to Lucy and told her what he'd been wanting to ever since he realized he loved her. Instead of that, he had to deal with more shit, more anxiety, more fear over her being ripped from his life. No way in hell was some tiny, pathetic little Fairy trash going to make him afraid.

Gajeel took in his surroundings again and saw that the group was nearing a corner of the road that was blocked on one side by a concrete wall that held a bridge, and buildings surrounding them everywhere else. _Good,_ he thought as he let his rage course through him, fueling the rampage and destruction he was ready to reap on the ones who had threatened his happiness, and his Bunny's freedom.

"You sure this is okay? Shouldn't you stay with Laki and the others at the girl's dorm?" Jet asked uncertainly, glancing around the street when the hairs on the back of his neck started to tingle in anxiety.

"It's fine," Levy said dismissively, closing her eyes and pretending she was balancing on a highwire while they made their way towards the park. "I don't wanna split up our team."

Gajeel glared down at the three mages while they approached an archway in the long concrete wall, coming closer and closer to the corner he was planning on ambushing them in. _These guys are just fucking sad,_ he thought as he watched the two fawning idiots drop to the ground with metaphorical hearts in their eyes from the shrimpy girl's words.

"The three of us can face anything together! I'll always protect you!" Droy shouted, throwing a fist into the air as he caught up with Levy.

"No, _I _will!" Jet countered, catching up to his teammates and glaring at Droy.

Gajeel grinned and launched himself into the air, leaving his bag on the rooftop he'd just been perched on, while the guys argued with one another. He felt his inner dragon roaring in tandem with his own anger at the audacity of the trio's actions that threatened his intended mate, and the fear that wafted up through the night air only caused a menacing growl to rumble through Gajeel as he descended on them.

Levy whirled around when cold fear washed through her, and she gasped when she saw a huge shadow racing towards them from the sky. There was only the gleam of red eyes that she could make out before she tried to find her Magic Pen with jittery hands to attempt to defend herself. She clutched it tightly and brought the pen up into the air, then shrieked and dropped it when two large beams of some sort of metal shot past her on either side to hit Jet and Droy.

All of the air in Jet's lungs was knocked out of him with the solid hit he took to the chest, and he vaguely registered that he was flying through the air until he came crashing into a stone wall of one of the surrounding buildings. His vision blurred when his head cracked the stone, and he fought to breathe once he was laid out and limp on the ground. "L-Le…vy," he rasped, fighting the nausea that swept through him when he picked his head up from the ground to try and find the blunette. His head was swimming, dizziness washing back and forth and jumbling his brain, and each rattling breath he took caused pain to radiate from his chest up into his shoulders and across his back.

Gajeel landed directly in front of the terrified girl, his growl still reverberating through him while he grinned and silently promised her never-ending torment. She was frozen in place, shaking like a leaf, and only a small whimper crept up her throat before he closed a hand around it and squeezed. Gajeel slowly lifted her into the air until her face was level with his, and growled, "You should have left her alone…"

Levy's eyes widened when the moonlight glinted off of the plethora of piercings adorning the man that had her in his grasp. Instant recognition of who he was and what she'd imagined he was capable of made her lock up, and all she could do was try to force air past the narrowed windpipe he was squeezing while she helplessly dangled in the air and looked into those terrifying blood red eyes. "Please," she breathed, feeling tears welling in her eyes.

Gajeel cackled and threw her across the way to land in a heap between her two lapdogs. "I don't take requests," he said as he stalked over to them. "Not from weak pieces of shit like you."

Droy was the first to regain even a small sense of equilibrium from the forceful hit he'd taken, and slowly dragged himself over to hover protectively over Levy. "Stay the hell away from h—"

Gajeel sneered and turned his leg into an iron pole, sending it shooting out at the guy's leg and hearing the wonderfully satisfying crunch of his femur shattering mixing with the garbled cry of pain that ripped from his victim's mouth.

Levy gasped for air once she landed on the ground, and cried out when Droy collapsed on top of her. His whole body was trembling, both hands tightly grasping his thigh while he gritted his teeth and took deep hissing breaths. "D-Droy!" she shouted, trying to wriggle out from beneath him in vain.

"Jet," Droy said through the nauseating pain in his leg, his eyes clenched shut as he tried to push past it. "Get… Levy to… the… guild!"

"Don't think so," Gajeel growled, already holding the orange-haired man by the scruff of his neck. He pulled back his fist and landed one solid punch to Jet's side, feeling the already fractured ribs splintering into tiny pieces just on the other side of his skin. "What kinda magic did Bunny say you used again?" he mused out loud.

Gajeel's words were answered with only whimpers and wheezing breaths.

"Let's give you some motivation to answer me," Gajeel said darkly, shifting his arm into a sword and digging the pointed end into the blunette's calf. She shrieked in pain, the scent of her blood wafting through the air around them, and Gajeel knelt down on the ground holding Jet's face right next to the wound. "What's your answer, cockstain?" he growled.

Jet could hardly breathe, the pain in his chest from his shattered ribs mixing with the lancing pain that shot through his heart from hearing Levy's scream. "I'll…" he wheezed, vaguely wondering if he could even be heard, "Nev… er… Tell…"

Gajeel chuckled, activating his magic and slowly rotating the blade that was still jammed in the girl's leg. Over and over, making the gash wider with each pass, Gajeel reveled in the agony he was causing her. He paused, waiting for her to stop screaming and start whimpering, then said, "Tell me, Short Stack. What's his magic?"

Before Levy could even sneer at him defiantly, the monster that had attacked her team grinned and showed off a set of pearly white pointed teeth. She fought the roiling in her stomach, the way its contents churned and threatened to crawl back up the way it came, when a single studded eyebrow raised in question at her. The blade in her leg finally slid out from deep within the muscle, causing Levy to scream again as the serrated edges tore into her as they passed.

Gajeel lifted Jet's head up, one hand still holding the back of his neck while the other clamped tightly on his jaw. "Guess he's not useful then," Gajeel said, looking right into the terrified brown eyes that stared back at him. "Should I just… snap his neck?"

"N-No!" Levy shouted, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. "High Speed! He uses High Speed Magic!"

Gajeel cackled and nodded. "That's right... I remember now." He leaned in until his nose was barely an inch from hers and whispered, "Bunny Girl's a smart fucking cookie. She got every little fucking detail about you Fairy fuckers, and you never suspected a thing."

Levy whimpered, wincing when she heard Jet cry out along with a loud crack sounding out through the air. Chancing a glance down at him, she saw a large puddle of blood pooling far too quickly from his head as it laid on the ground. "JET!" she screeched.

Gajeel's hand shot up to clamp over her mouth roughly. "Keep it down, Bookworm," he growled low in his throat, grinning wickedly when she visibly shivered and her fear and anxiety peaked. "Hope he doesn't bleed out while we're chatting. That'd be too fucking bad… for you." Gajeel glanced down at the groaning brunette that was doing a wonderful job of pinning the terrified girl to the ground. "If he dies, then I'll only have two little Fairies to fuck with before I destroy your shitty guild. And you _really_ don't want me to have less trash to toy with."

Levy's eyes widened, her brow pushing together, and she violently shook her head as she silently pleaded with the man to leave them all alone.

Droy groaned again and focused just enough to send out a burst of his magic. Throwing some seeds on the ground, he sent out his Chain Plants in the hopes of binding up the psychopath that had hurt Levy. He watched with hazy vision as five small magic circles appeared on the ground just behind the man, then thin vines shot up into the air and wrapped around his arms and neck. Droy smirked triumphantly and rolled onto his side, finally pulling himself off of Levy's slight form, as their attacker pulled away from them.

Gajeel snarled and shifted into his metal scales, using his claws to tear through the sad attempt at binding him. He lunged forward, tackling Droy to the ground and pummeling his face with all of the force he possessed. "You wanna see how to tie someone up, Fertilizer Breath?!" he growled, throwing one more punch and knocking the guy out completely—at least for now.

Levy crawled away as silently as possible while Droy was being beaten, her injured leg dragging uselessly behind her while she went after the Magic Pen she had dropped before. Both of her teammates had been taken out, and she needed to find a way to stall so she could get a message to someone in the guild. They needed help, and it was clear that Phantom Lord was going to be launching a full attack on Fairy Tail. _Who is this 'Bunny' the guy keeps talking about?,_ she wondered as she wrapped her fingers around the pen. She turned and quickly chanted, "Solid Script: Stone!" watching as the stone letters flew through the air and collided with the man that had just turned around after dropping Droy's limp body to the ground.

Gajeel slowly stood up, shaking off the small bits of rubble from the magic she had used, and grinned when she gasped at his appearance. He slowly stalked towards Levy, rolling his eyes when the words "Fire," "Water," and finally "Iron" all came shooting out of her little pen. The fire didn't do a damn thing to him aside from singe his clothes a little. If anything, the water that shot out afterwards stopped the majority of the damage his apparel would have taken. And finally, the iron. _Seriously? Bitch just gave me a goddamn SNACK!_

"Wh-What do you want?!" Levy shouted, dragging herself backwards until she bumped into another wall. The man in front of her could hardly be considered a man at all. His mane of wild black hair was flowing slightly in the chilly night air, his dangerous red eyes were boring into her and promising nothing but pain and suffering for her and her teammates. A fresh wave of dread filled her, causing her blood to run cold, when she first saw the entirely metallic glint of his body. Upon closer inspection, as he stalked towards her and started to eat the iron spell she'd sent at him, she saw that the metal was really some sort of plating that seemed to resemble scales. The piercings she'd seen before across his face and arms had become decidedly more deadly, elongating into frightening spikes that looked as though they could rend her flesh with hardly any effort. And his teeth… Oh, sweet Mavis, his teeth were sharper and purely metal that caught the pale moonlight with each bite he took. Levy whimpered when a low growl echoed through the street when he finally stopped in front of her. "Wh-Who are y-you? Wh-What do you want?" she whispered, her voice trembling no matter how hard she tried to keep it steady.

Gajeel dropped a foot to the girl's injured leg, twisting his heel back and forth over the still bleeding wound and cackling when she screamed. He channeled a small bit of magic and created a series of three individual shackles that were connected by a thick chain, then lunged forward and clamped one over her wrist. While kneeling in front of the crying girl, Gajeel simply raised an eyebrow at her when she used her free hand to try and stab him with her pen.

Levy gasped when her Magic Pen didn't do a single thing to deter the monster in front of her. There wasn't much she could do at this point, and was starting to feel weaker by the second as she lost more blood from the gash in her leg, but she was a Fairy Tail mage, and that meant she would never give up. Not a moment after she'd thought that, his hand shot up and covered hers, easily dwarfing it while he started squeezing. Levy bit her lips as she fought to hide the pain she was in, but when every one of her fingers started protesting the intense pressure he was exerting on her, a single whimper escaped her lips. She watched in horror as his eyes stayed locked on hers while he grinned; a quick flick of his wrist shattering the bones in her hand around her pen and snapping her wrist like a twig.

While the girl screamed again and again, Gajeel opened his hand to see her blood coating it from where his claws had punctured her flesh. He pulled the pen from her mangled grip and smirked while he put it in his pocket. "Hm, a little souvenir might make her happy," he chuckled, standing up and dragging Levy roughly across the slightly uneven cobblestone back towards her companions. Gajeel wrapped a shackle around both Jet's and Droy's wrists, then chuckled while he held the two unconscious mages and the blunette that was wracked with pain in the air. "In answer to your questions," Gajeel growled, "I'm Black Steel Gajeel, Iron Dragon Slayer of Phantom Lord… and what I _want_ is for you to suffer. We're sending a message to your pathetic little guild: Don't fuck with Phantom."

"We n-never did a-anything!" Levy cried, holding her broken hand to her chest and sobbing uncontrollably. _IRON Dragon Slayer?!,_ she internally screeched. She thought that Natsu was the only Dragon Slayer in existence since they had never come across another one before.

"That's where you're wrong," Gajeel said with a wicked grin that turned into a snarl as he continued. "You threatened to take her from us. Why do you think I'm here before Erza's back, huh Bookworm?"

Levy's eyes widened, her breaths coming in short bursts when her mind quickly put the pieces together. "This… This is about L-Lucy?" she asked in shock. _How does he know Erza's involved? Or that she's away?!_ "But, you kidnapped her!"

Gajeel laughed, full belly-bursting laughter that had him dropping the trio to the ground. "Wrong again," he said, none-too-gently nudging Jet's ribs with his boot and grinning when the man groaned and started regaining consciousness. "That psycho joined the guild four months ago. One of our best killers, if you ask me."

"N-No," Levy whispered. "The papers said—"

"They said what her old man wants them to think," Gajeel growled, crouching down in front of Levy while he pounded a fist into Droy's broken leg to wake him up as well. "She's a Phantom, and she's _mine._ Since you three are the ones that went and blabbed to your guildmaster, it looks like I get to have some fun with you."

"You're… a monster," Jet croaked out, his breathing labored and shallow to minimize the pain as much as possible.

"Seriously," Droy slurred. "What kind of… crazed lunatic… wants people to suffer?"

Gajeel chuckled and shook his head, keeping his eyes locked on Levy's. "Plenty of people. I got a special request to make some Fairies suffer though, and I really couldn't turn it down. Especially when it's you three."

"Wh-Why?" Levy asked, curling in on herself when Gajeel leaned closer to her.

"Because what my Bunny Girl wants, she gets," Gajeel answered. "What she really wants is all of you dead, but she had to settle. Besides, when your little friends find you, there's gonna be a whole guild full of fucking tears when they see what Phantom can do."

"Who the… hell is… Bunny Girl?" Jet rasped.

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at Levy, waiting for her to put the pieces together.

"Lucy Heartfilia," Levy gasped, watching in horror as Gajeel grinned and nodded.

"She wants you to suffer for threatening to take her back to her old man. Says you deserve everything I can give you for trying to take her away, and I'm more than fucking willing to do it. You don't piss off a Dragon Slayer, and you _especially _don't threaten what's theirs if you wanna live a long, healthy life," Gajeel said while he stood up and started dragging the three mages across the ground towards the park. "Be glad it's me and not her. You guys would be begging to die by the time she was finished with you."

Levy's mind was whirling with the new information she'd been given. Gajeel said that Lucy had joined Phantom Lord four months prior, when the blonde's father said she'd been missing for a month. Apparently, if he was telling the truth about her status in his guild, there was much more they needed to know about the situation before they could try and figure out what to do. If she wasn't kidnapped, then there's no way Fairy Tail would try and steal her away, especially if she voluntarily joined Phantom Lord. The fact that Gajeel had said Lucy was psychotic, a killer, and wanted them to suffer both made sense to Levy and confused her. Based on what she'd witnessed the day they saw Gajeel carrying Lucy to the guild, Levy could tell that the woman was capable of at least handling herself when it came to curses and threats; the fact that Lucy had so easily and thoroughly threatened Gajeel's life and genitals that day almost made it seem as though she was speaking from experience more than from hyperbole. What Levy couldn't understand was how an heiress would become something so evil and terrible. Then there was the fact that Gajeel had mentioned Lucy having gotten information on the guild, but how? "I… don't understand…" she whimpered, feeling a slight bit of relief when the harsh cobblestones gave way to the lush grass of the park she had been ready to spend the night in with her teammates—camping out under their favorite tree and just having a good relaxing time together.

"It's really not that hard," Gajeel said, tossing his captives into the trunk of a tree and sitting on the ground while he starting making what he would need for his entertainment during their 'playtime'. He used his heightened senses to check the surrounding area, and realized that he'd brought them to the very center of the park, to the largest tree in the area, and there was no one around to hear them screaming. "Master Jose sent me to take down your guild, which is where I'll be going once Mira Jane closes up and leaves for the night. Bunny Girl asked me to fuck up some Fairies for her since she's back at home with the brat. And I'm gonna enjoy the _fuck_ out of it."

"She's insane!" Droy shouted, instantly regretting it when he felt blood pounding in his head and pooling in his mouth from the beating he'd already taken. _'Back at home with the brat'?,_ Droy thought in confusion, _He sounds like he's talking about a perfectly normal family… Aside from the whole crazy torturing part._

"Hell yeah, she is," Gajeel smirked. "An absolute psychopath when she needs to be. You guys got on her bad side, and I'm lucky enough to have found you. Man, you have no clue how excited she'll be when I tell her about this in the morning."

"How did she get information on us?" Levy asked, her senses dulling slightly while she felt like she was floating off into the distance.

Gajeel scowled and picked up the iron chain he'd made, then lashed out and struck Levy in the ribs. She cried out and he simply raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't go passing out yet. I haven't even gotten to the good part," he said with a grin. "Master Jose gave her a mission to find out everything she could about you Fairies. Said she met up with some flirty stripper and his partner on the train, and they were gushing the entire time about you all. Sorcerer's Weekly had a bunch of shit, then she used one of her spirits to get the rest. Hell, she even sat down and talked with Erza at a fucking coffee shop. You're a bunch of fucking morons, if you ask me. She's got a file on every single one of you little piss-ants from S-Class down, and knows everything about you." Gajeel stood up and unshackled Levy, grabbing her by the arms and slowly extending his legs into iron poles. Once she was nice and high off of the ground, he grinned and asked, "Anything else before I get started? I hate being interrupted while I'm working."

Just as Levy tried to open her mouth to speak, she felt Gajeel squeeze her wrists—shattering the previously uninjured one in the process—and then slowly pulling her arms further and further away from her body. She felt searing pain shooting through her arms and back as he tore the muscles and ligaments that held her shoulders together with expert precision, then finally two loud pops sounded as a wave of nausea swept over her. Levy screamed at the top of her lungs, her throat going raw in the process when her nerves started firing off and shots of electricity seemed to streak all down her arms and into her chest. She was finding it harder and harder to breathe while the pain overwhelmed her system, and hardly noticed the sweat pouring down her face or how the blood seemed to rush out of her head.

Gajeel made quick work of pinning Levy's dislocated arms to the tree, covering each one with two iron bars and nailing them in place, and letting her slight weight pull down on the restraints to cause her even more pain.

"Surprised you didn't puke everywhere," Gajeel said with a sadistic grin as he lowered himself to the ground again while Levy sobbed and hung her head. He turned to look at her teammates, and saw that they were both staring in horror at the blunette. "Don't worry, you guys will join her in a bit."

Jet and Droy turned to glare at Gajeel, and both men felt anger swelling inside of them at the horrendous treatment the woman of their dreams had endured. "You won't get away with this!" Jet wheezed, the venom in his voice altogether nonexistent in the aftermath of his shattered ribs and most likely collapsed lung.

"They'll find us, and then come after you for it!" Droy added, feeling bile rising in the back of his throat.

Gajeel raised a spiked eyebrow at him. "You think they'll know who it was?" he asked, hoping that Droy would say yes. He _wanted_ them to know who had attacked these three. That was the whole point of the mission: send a message to Fairy Tail.

"Of course they will!" Droy continued, pushing himself up slowly and leaning heavily against the tree that Levy was pinned to. "We'll tell them everything! Once they find us, we'll tell them your whole plan."

"Yeah," Jet added, pushing past the pain that radiated through every fiber of his being and pushing himself up with the assistance of both the tree and Droy. He held an arm across his ribs, and fought to catch his breath from the simplest movement. "You and that crazy bitch will be begging for mercy!"

Gajeel growled and narrowed his eyes, his upper lip curling while he reached down and picked up the heavy iron chain he'd made. "Don't talk about her," he warned.

Jet laughed drily, causing him to cough and retch while a small bit of blood flew up into his mouth. _That's really not good,_ he thought. He returned Gajeel's glare and smirked. "Why not?" he asked, ignoring how Droy's hand shot out to tightly grip his arm in a silent plea to stop before he made things worse. "You're like a dog just doing as your mistress wants! It's pathetic! Here you are attacking a good and sweet girl, all on the whim of some whore!"

Droy watched in horror as Gajeel's nostrils flared, the rage wafting off of him practically tangible and his aura darkening with each word that passed Jet's lips. _Damnit, Jet! Shut up!_ It wasn't long after Jet finished speaking that they were both rewarded with a heavy metal chain whipping repeatedly across their bodies while the man growled and cackled maniacally. They could feel bones creaking under the weight of the chain as it lashed across them over and over, the small breaths they could manage between hits was hardly more than enough to maintain consciousness. Jet and Droy collapsed to the ground again, curling in on themselves to try and minimize the damage their organs would take. Neither mage was able to even gasp out a call for help, and when the onslaught of attacks finally abated, all they could do was try to breathe.

Gajeel didn't have the words to describe his anger at what Jet had said about Lucy. When the two men he'd been beating finally passed out from the pain again, he looked up at the previously weeping girl and saw that her head was still hung low, her short blue bangs shielding her eyes from sight while she slowly regained consciousness. "You afraid, Shorty?" he growled, extending one arm into a lance and forcing her chin up so he could meet her gaze. He already knew the answer: she was petrified, just like he wanted. Her two lackeys were just icing on the cake for him, because Levy was the one he really wanted to torture until she was a quivering mass of unrecognizable flesh, mumbling incoherently for the rest of her life. This little bitch had caused the threat to Lucy's freedom to become a reality; instead of her father searching for her, the fucker knew where she was at and was going to try and steal her from Gajeel. _Fuck taking her from Phantom,_ he thought angrily, _I'd go anywhere for her._ He knew that he owed Jose a lot for everything that the guild master had done to help Gajeel out when he was lost and alone, and he was thankful for it. Gajeel also knew that if Lucy decided to leave Phantom, to keep running from her father, he would be right by her side. He cared too much to let her go.

Levy's vision was blurry when she came back to reality, her consciousness fading in and out, and even her hearing had become warbled and distorted. There was nothing she could do any longer. Fairy Tail mages fight to their last breath, but she was strung up like a sacrifice with two broken wrists, a broken hand, a heavily bleeding injury in her leg, and two dislocated shoulders. The weight of her body pulling down on her already injured arms was excruciating, and it was a surprise even to her that she hadn't passed out from the pain sooner. Then again, she was well on her way to doing just that, and she feared that if it happened she wouldn't ever wake up again.

Gajeel sighed when he looked at the three mages. They couldn't handle much more before he killed them, and that wasn't something he was going to do. He wanted them to be very much alive—even if only just—when their guildmates found them. He wanted Fairy Tail to know exactly what Phantom would do, what _he_ would do, to keep Lucy away from them and her father. His inner dragon's approving growl filled Gajeel from head to toe, and he decided to just have a little more fun before he went off to keep an eye on the guild. He had to try and control himself a little bit, because the pain of seeing these Fairies strung up and still in excruciating agony would be much more satisfying than Fairy Tail finding corpses. If the little blue-haired bitch didn't keep her mouth shut and decided to keep with the trend of talking shit about his little Bunny, Gajeel wasn't sure that his dragon would stay under much longer. Within minutes, both Jet and Droy were pinned to the tree just like their 'fearless' leader, and Gajeel stood back with his arms crossed over his chest to admire his handiwork. "Who do you think will cry the most?" he asked with a grin. "I bet it'll be just like when Lisanna died."

Levy gasped, her eyes coming to a pinpoint focus on the monster. "H-How do you…"

Gajeel chuckled and said, "I told you. My Bunny's got fucking skills."

Levy finally felt something other than fear inside of her, and took hold of it with all the strength she still possessed. She was angry, and she knew exactly how to fight against this monster. She might not have the strength to fight against him, but her passion was language. What better way to get under his skin than to use words against him? "Fairy Tail won't fail against your guild!" she shouted defiantly, ignoring the flaring pain in her body when she tried to fight against the restraints. _Losing Lisanna nearly killed everyone in the guild,_ she thought angrily, _How could he… How could __**they**__ want something so horrible?!_

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Gajeel said, taking the time to push the most intense portions of his anger back under so he wouldn't lose his mind and kill them.

Levy scowled at him, narrowing her eyes and said, "We're stronger than you give us credit for. The pain that one member feels resounds throughout the rest of the guild, giving them the push they need to come out on top!" She watched Gajeel roll his eyes and scoff, then saw a soft green glow emanating from one of his hands while he slowly moved it down the chain she hadn't seen before. It didn't matter to Levy what he had planned, since she was planning on using whatever she possibly could to tear him down until he wasn't able to handle anymore. "And I'm sure they'll be more than happy to pay _Lucy_ back for what she's done!"

Gajeel paused in adding inch-long serrated spikes to the chain he'd used to beat Jet and Droy, then raised his eyebrow at Levy. "What was that?" he asked slowly.

Levy smirked at him triumphantly as she thought, _Bingo. There's his weakness._ "I said Lucy's going to be targeted for her part in all of this," she taunted. "If you think what you're doing is bad, you should just wait and see what will happen to her for being behind it all."

"Shut up," Gajeel whispered, his hand tightening around the chain while he took deep breaths to maintain some semblance of control over himself.

"She's a freak," Levy continued, her voice filled with hatred, "A sick freak that's obviously got some serious mental issues if she's willing to be anywhere near someone like _you_! You're both disgusting, vile, and you deserve every bit of pain that Fairy Tail brings down on you for this!"

"I said shut up!" Gajeel growled, his metal teeth grinding against one another and sending out a shrill screeching noise into the dead night air. "You don't know a goddamn thing about her."

"She's an heiress, so obviously there's something that happened to make her want to stoop below her and be with someone like you. She's high class and you're trash." Levy's head started pounding, her vision blurring again, but she ignored it and the way that Gajeel's growling seemed to become more feral as she kept talking. "I pity you. She's probably just using you and waiting for someone to find a way to take her back to the good life. You really think someone like her would want to be with you? Where is Lucy at anyway? Why isn't _she_ here doing this? Are you so wrapped around her little finger that you jumped at the opportunity to do her bidding?" Levy paused and took a deep breath, sneering as she finished him off. "Fairy Tail is going to get you for this. They'll rip away everything you love for laying a finger on us, and then you'll be locked up for good. Your little slut of a girlfriend will be the last thing you see before the Rune Knights drag you away, and she'll forget all about you. Do you really think that if you're not in the picture she'll stick around? She'll just skip right along to the next guy, open her legs nice and wide, and do the same thing to him that she's doing to you! You're nothing, Gajeel. You're nobody, and that's all you'll ever be!"

Gajeel roared, picking up the modified chain and gripping it tightly. He did everything in his power to keep himself calm, but Levy had gotten under his skin. She'd talked shit about Lucy, about him, and he couldn't take it anymore. There was only one thing that Gajeel loved, and that was Lucy. He'd _never_ let them take her away. He needed Lucy in his life; she was the one that made him feel like everything wasn't going to be horrible for the rest of his days. "She's _innocent_!" he shouted, his vision turning red and the dragon inside surfacing again to help him punish the smartass. It roared loudly, pushing the sound out of Gajeel's throat and making his magic course through his body violently, surging and swelling inside of him until he felt like he would burst. "She's everything I've ever fucking needed! You're not taking her away from me!" He brought the chain down on her and her companions again and again, beating them senseless and grinning like crazy when he saw and smelled their blood spattering across the ground. _Now I see why Bunny likes her whip so much,_ he vaguely thought, _I could get used to this._ "You stupid fucking bitch!"

Levy somehow found it in herself to scream in agony when the newest torture device was sent flying her way, ripping into the flesh of her legs and arms and causing her body to begin shaking yet again. Jet and Droy had long been silent by that point, and she was instantly worried that her defiance would cost them their lives, and that maybe that was already the case for her two best friends.

Gajeel finally stopped, dropping the chain to the ground and stalking over to the tree. His legs elongated into poles again so he could stand at eye level with the only conscious mage, and each of his heaving, rage-filled breaths was punctuated with a venomous growl. "Looks like I'll have to make sure you learn how to keep that fucking mouth shut," he growled, ignoring anything else Levy might have tried to say to him. "I'm here to send a fucking message, and you three are just the right canvas for it. Specifically, _you_."

"Wh-What?" Levy wheezed, one eye widening in shock while the other swelled closed from how intensely she'd been beaten. Clearly, she had overestimated the actual level of Gajeel's sanity, and apparently what she had so carelessly said to him had been what he needed to push him over the edge and into madness. Every time Jet or Droy had been hit with the whip, she'd watched in horror as they were forced to bear the consequences of her thoughtless taunting. Levy knew how to use words to her advantage, had based her whole life on it, but there was a difference between making someone stop from guilt and making them snap.

Gajeel chuckled as he lifted a clawed finger and held it in front of Levy's face, his eyes wide and crazed while he looked at her. "I think you need a proper induction into Phantom Lord, you little cunt. I'll explain it to you before I start. You're gonna get a new guild mark, and it's gonna be with you for the rest of your _fucking_ _life_. Every time you look at yourself, you'll think of what could have been avoided if you hadn't gotten all mouthy and started spewing bullshit about my Bunny." He paused and tightly grasped Levy's chin with the other hand, keeping her head up and her eyes looking into his. "When you look in the mirror, I want you to remember tonight. Remember that Bunny Girl isn't to be trifled with, because if you fuck with her then you have to deal with me."

Levy nodded slowly, feeling tears pouring down her face and the metallic claws on the ends of Gajeel's fingertips digging into her cheeks. _Mavis, what have I done?!_

"Now, you're the leader so you get to have a mark," Gajeel continued with a wicked grin. "It's even better since I'm giving you Bunny's guild mark, that way you know _exactly_ who will come after you." He pulled back and brought his claw to her stomach, and started carving the Phantom Lord symbol into her flesh, making sure to gouge deep into her abdominal muscles. "You're nothing like her, you know," he chuckled, deciding to make the little bitch feel like shit. _Maybe I can break her…_ "In fact, you two couldn't be more different. She actually looks like a woman, with curves in _all_ the right places, and you're just a fucking tween in comparison. She smells sweet and absolutely delicious, and you smell like a dingy fucking library. She's sweet, smart, funny, and everything that's good in the world—all wrapped up in the sexiest fucking body I've ever seen with a mouth as bad as mine. Doesn't matter what she does for the guild, or how sadistic she can be. Bunny's all fucking mine, and I wouldn't change a goddamn thing about her. You, on the other hand? You're weak, Short Stack. You _always_ fucking will be, and after tonight I won't be surprised if you give up magic altogether. It's not like it did you any fucking good, maybe you _should_ give it up." Gajeel chuckled again, then took a moment to admire his work on Levy's stomach, watching as large rivulets of her blood seeped from the gaping Phantom mark he'd carved into her flesh.

Gajeel looked into Levy's eyes again. "By the time you wake back up, your guild is gonna be in ruins. All of your friends will be dead, I'll make fucking sure of it. You'll be stuck grieving for them, and wishing that I'd just killed you. She wants you to suffer, and I'm damn well gonna make sure you suffer forever. Fairy blood will be on _your_ hands for what you did; you've got no one to blame but yourself for what's coming. But, that won't be for a few days…" He turned to her companions, saw that they had already passed out, but decided to make their state of consciousness last a little longer by causing some serious head trauma. First Jet, then Droy, Gajeel grabbed their heads and slammed them into the tree as hard as he could manage, grinning when he heard one of their skulls cracking under the force of the blows.

Levy whimpered and clamped her eyes shut, flinching when she heard what was happening to her friends.

Finally, Gajeel returned to Levy and leaned in to let his metallic lips brush against her ear. When she shivered and flinched, he chuckled then growled, "If I _ever_ fucking see you three pieces of shit again, I'll kill you. It'll be quick and painless, since you're really not worth more of my time, but you won't be alive to fuck with her. Don't fucking forget, Fairy Trash. I sure as hell won't forget my threat. Understand?"

Levy nodded quickly, then let out one last scream when Gajeel's hands shot down to her thighs and he quickly yanked on her legs, ripping her femurs from her hips and tearing muscles in the process. It wasn't long before she barely registered his hand gripping her hair and a fist connecting with her face, and just before everything went black, she realized that if this was a monster, then Lucy Heartfilia herself was on a whole other level to have someone like him doing this. _I'll never forgive them for this…_

Gajeel shifted back from his metal scales and lowered himself to the ground. He took a single step back from the tree and looked at the gloriously morbid picture Team Shadowgear made, narrowing his eyes when he felt like something was missing. Taking a quick look around, he saw the weird fur-lined hat that Jet had been wearing lying crumpled on the ground, with small splatters of blood matting portions of the fur. With a smirk, Gajeel picked it up and moved back up to set it on the High Speed mage's head, then nodded his approval. _Gotta make sure they look their best,_ he thought. After only one last glance, Gajeel turned around and made his way back to the rooftop that he'd left his bag on. His inner dragon was purring contentedly at the thought of making Lucy happy by doing what she'd wanted to do herself, and Gajeel could see it curling up into a restful slumber since it was acknowledging that the ones responsible for their anxiety had been properly handled.

It didn't take long for Gajeel to reach the Fairy Tail guild hall, and he perched himself up on a rooftop only a block away. _How about that?,_ he silently mused, _Right on time I guess._ He watched as a very petite and curvaceous woman with flowing white hair and a maroon dress opened the doors of the guild. A hulking man with spiked white hair and a scar on his positively ugly mug followed closely behind her, taking a few steps away from the building and scanning the street while the last figure left the building. Master Makarov Dreyar was the final person to walk out, and Gajeel did a double-take when he saw just how small the guy was. Seriously, it looked like it was a toddler with a moustache and a ridiculous blue-and-orange striped hat. _**That's**__ their guild master?!_ He wanted nothing more than to jump down there and take down the Fairies, just for some kicks and to add to the list of those that were physically suffering, but Lucy's earlier words rang through his head. _"You'd better use tactics, Black Steel. I know you're strong as hell, definitely stronger than anyone they can throw at you, but you've gotta be smart about it too."_

She had told him repeatedly to use his head, and he had promised her that he would come back. Makarov was one of the Ten Wizard Saints, just like Master Jose. If Phantom's guild master had some serious issues with the tiny guy, and hadn't just taken him out, then clearly Gajeel would be no match for him. Gajeel knew he was strong, knew his limitations, and he also knew that if he got himself killed while he was on this mission from being a dumbass, then Lucy would probably find a way to resurrect him only to kick his ass and beat him to death… repeatedly. He waited for at least fifteen minutes after the trio had disappeared from his sight, and finally decided to make his way inside to get this mission finished and get back to the comforting warmth of Lucy's bed.

As Gajeel hopped across the roofs of the surrounding buildings, he was suddenly intensely thankful that Lucy had done such a thorough job of getting the blueprints to the place. Sure, the original ones were nice for showing those wonderfully weak spots that would collapse with hardly any effort, but the fact that Lucy had actually taken the time to draw out a brand new blueprint that held all of the modifications over the years, more weak points that were even graded based upon the destruction they would cause, and tunnels or little-known entrances to the building was just amazing.

He scaled the stone wall that surrounded the guild, choosing to stick to the shadows in case someone happened by, and then made short work of silently climbing up the side of the building until he reached the second floor. Gajeel hopped over the railing, ducking down when he heard a pair of drunks slowly making their way down the street, and once they were out of earshot he shifted his finger into a knife and crouched in front of a window. As carefully as possible, Gajeel scored the glass with his knife, making a single wide pass over it in a circle. He tapped around the edge of the score line, making sure it was loosened enough, then took a deep breath and roughly tapped the center of the cutout. Once the glass was loosened, Gajeel's hand shot through the opening and caught it before it could fall to the ground and shatter, and he carefully set it down on the floor. His hand lifted up and ran along the wooden frame of the window, searching for the small locking mechanism. Once he'd found it and unlocked the window, Gajeel slowly pulled his arm and hand back out and then opened the window and climbed inside with a grin. _Step one's finished._

He took a quick look around the room he'd climbed into, and saw that it looked like an old, musty, unused office. There were several armchairs in one corner with white sheets over them, an antique desk in the corner and a whole wall of empty shelves that were caked with dust. Gajeel needed to get down to the first floor directly in front of the bar to get his bearings, so he took only a moment to listen for any sign of life in the building before walking to the door and opening it. There were several hallways that branched off in random directions, but Gajeel used his nose to find the quickest route down to the main guild area—all by following the scent of booze, food, and just how many human scents were permeating the air.

Gajeel chuckled when he realized just where he could get a good bit of metal to feed his magic, and it was just on the other side of the bar. He vaulted over the worn countertop and strode quickly through the single swinging door that led to the kitchen, and felt his mouth instantly watering when he saw just how much stainless steel there was back there. If the Fairies had gotten something right, it was the quality of metal they used for their kitchen. With the mental picture Gajeel had of just what he wanted to do to the guild hall to make it clearly visible to everyone in Magnolia, he figured he'd need to scarf down about a quarter of what was available to him to make sure he had enough magic to get it done with plenty leftover in case he ran into any trouble.

Never in Gajeel's life had he eaten so much metal so damn quickly, but there was just something inside of him that kept screaming he needed to hurry the hell up and finish his job. One look at the clock that was hanging over the bar helped him figure it out. The last train for the night was leaving Magnolia at 11:30, and it was almost eleven. That left him thirty minutes to finish this shit, get to the station, buy a ticket, and then get on so he could finally get back home around three. Lucy knew it would be late, but he said he'd call once he was on his way back, so Gajeel planned on doing just that once he was actually seated on the train.

He took one last look around the building, then tried to center himself and expand his magic. Gajeel frowned when he was struggling to do just what he'd imagined, to make the huge iron beams shoot out from his own body in a sick metallic explosion, and he instantly looked to his inner dragon for—fingers crossed—some damn advice.

It wasn't long before he saw the image of his own dad, what Gajeel had come to realize was his mind's manifestation of his instincts, grinning at him in the same shitty way he always did when the little Dragon Slayer was confused on what to do.

"_Channel your anger," the dragon whispered._

"_I've been doing that all goddamn day!"_

"_Why are you angry?"_

_Gajeel internally rolled his eyes and shook his head._ _"Because they're trying to take her away. I just fucking found her, I don't want to lose her."_

"_She's not your mate," the dragon responded with a deep chuckle. "Why should it matter if they take her away?"_

"_Because I love her, you sack of scrap metal!"_ _Gajeel shouted._

"_You also love eating metal, but if someone tried to take that away you'd just find more," the dragon reasoned. "Why is she any different? Just find another one after this is finished." The dragon shrugged, its metallic scales shifting and shattering the resounding silence._

_Gajeel sneered and growled at the dragon. "I'll __**never**__ find someone else!" he bellowed. "She's mine! They're trying to take what's __**mine**__!"_

_The dragon paused and cocked its head to the side, grinning at the reaction he'd received. "She's yours?" it asked slowly. "How do you know she's yours if you're not mated?"_

_Gajeel felt a slight tingling sensation in his shoulder and winced when he started to doubt himself. His inner dragon's words echoed around him, and the tingling increased until it started to burn. "It doesn't matter how I know," Gajeel finally said, furrowing his brow and sighing when the pain decreased. He looked up into the eyes of his father's visage and felt his heart swelling with resolve. "She's mine. Lucy. Is. Mine. And there's nothing that will stop me from protecting her."_

_The dragon nodded, then leaned down and blew out a single hot breath over Gajeel's face. "Then what does a dragon do when others threaten what's theirs?"_

_Gajeel smirked and said, "I already took care of that. The ones that started it have been handled."_

"_What about the rest?" the dragon asked. "Those three threatened her, but the rest have threatened much more than that."_

"_How?"_

"_They agreed to steal from you. To take your happiness, your love, and your salvation. If they succeed, then everything will be ripped away from you in the blink of an eye."_

"_No," Gajeel growled, his ire rising with each syllable of his father's words._

"_Yes," the dragon insisted. "It will happen unless you find it in yourself to make them pay. Don't just protect her, you must also protect yourself. And the boy."_

"_The brat?!" Gajeel asked incredulously. "The fuck does he have to do with anything?"_

"_All three of you need each other, dumbass," the dragon groaned, rolling its eyes and shaking its head._

"_Oi!" Gajeel shouted, "What kind of answer is that?!" Of course, the only time Gajeel needs some clear-cut guidance on what to do, his instincts have to get all fucking cryptic on him._

"_Look, you little shit stain," the dragon growled, reminding Gajeel of just what his dad had sounded like when he was getting ready to seriously lay into him for being a dick, "If you want to get this done, then do it for yourself. It's all well and fucking good to protect her, and the boy—"_

"_I'm—"_

"_SHUT IT!" the dragon roared. "You are, so just fucking deal with it. You like him, she likes him. End of fucking story! You need to get your head outta your ass and do this because they're threatening YOU! Her freedom is the means they're using, but YOU'RE the one that gets the short end of the fucking stick here."_

"_But—"_

"_Did I say I was done?" the dragon asked, growling again when Gajeel opened his mouth to start a slew of curses. "Show them what a dragon can do when they're threatened. Those three you attacked were for __**her**__, now let them see what happens for threatening __**you**__. Besides, if you want to mate with her, then don't you think you should give a nice wonderful display of the magic she loves so damn much?"_

"_That's what I was trying to do, ass," Gajeel grumbled petulantly, crossing his arms over his chest._

"_Yeah, well you're being retarded," the dragon countered, grinning when Gajeel growled at him. "You're not trying to throw a fucking temper tantrum to destroy their guild, you're trying to do some serious goddamn damage. So sac up and act like a fucking dragon instead of a little bitch baby!"_

"_WHAT THE FUCK IS A BITCH BABY?!" Gajeel shouted._

_The dragon laughed, lifting his front foot and pointing at Gajeel with a single claw, drawing slow circles in the air. "See what you're doing right now?" it asked with a wide grin, "__**That's**__ a bitch baby."_

"_Goddamnit," Gajeel groaned. "You sound just fucking like Bunny…"_

"_Because she's smart as fuck!" the dragon shot back, laughing when Gajeel glared at it. "Now, go show your woman what it means to be a dragon when it's __**not**__ about your dick."_

"_Yeah, yeah," Gajeel grumbled, turning on his heel and walking away. "Fucking creepy asshole…"_

"_I heard that!" the dragon roared, laughing hysterically when Gajeel flinched._

Gajeel's eyes opened, instantly darting across the room to look at the clock. Most times when he delved deep within himself and started talking with his inner dragon, he was out of it for hours. That was most definitely _not_ something he needed, and it seemed that luck was on his side. Only a few minutes had passed since he'd started trying to channel his magic and had failed, and now he knew just what he needed to do. His instincts never steered him wrong before, no matter how many damn times he'd tried to ignore them in the past. This time, he needed to stop focusing on the finer details of the situation, and look at it from the side of a dragon. Sure, he loved Lucy and he'd do anything for her, but he was the son of a dragon. Gaining Metallicana's magic came with a great deal of power, but it also came with habits and needs that he couldn't ignore.

Gajeel took a deep breath, then closed his eyes again. Instead of thinking about how they were trying to take _Lucy_ away from him, he forced every horrible memory he'd ever had to the surface of his mind. He needed the anguish, the heartache, the sheer desperation and loneliness that he'd always been forced to endure to make these Fairies pay for trying to force it on him again. His dragon was right, Lucy's threatened freedom was just a means for them to steal everything from him. He'd finally found happiness, love, a companion, salvation from what he'd done in the past, all wrapped up in the perfect package for him to keep forever. Fairy Tail was going to take that away from him if he didn't do this.

Gajeel growled low in his throat, his face marred with a mask of sorrow while he thought of everything he'd ever lost. Everything that had been stolen from him before that he'd never been able to get back. What he had been too weak to keep for himself. His birth mother—even though he knew nothing about her—had given him away for some reason he could never know, and it was the first time he'd been cast aside, unloved and unwanted when he was pure and innocent. The few memories he actually had of his adoptive mother came up next, giving him only glimpses of a smiling face or the scent of something baking in the oven before he was blindsided by the memory of her death. He never knew how it happened or why, but in retrospect he knew that she had been killed. The woman had loved him, he knew it, but she was stolen away and he was left alone.

Gajeel hardly registered the swelling magic inside of him, how it grew and grew the longer he dwelt on the pain and suffering of his own shitty existence. Three years had gone by in a flash between her death and Metallicana saving his life, and Gajeel gritted his teeth while he ran through every single memory he had with his father. From being healed and nursed back to health to learning his magic, watching the night sky, learning everything he'd needed to know about life that the dragon could teach him. It was the first clear memory Gajeel had of love, even though neither he nor Metallicana had acted like they could even stand each other half the time. Gajeel loved his dad more than anything, and owed him everything for the gifts he'd been given.

A single garbled cry rang out in the silent guild hall, centering on the hulking, pierced Slayer whose magic was leaking from him and increasing in pressure as the seconds ticked by. _He disappeared. He left me alone. I lost him just like everyone else._ Gajeel didn't know there were tears streaming down his face while his mind locked onto the morning he'd been abandoned, and all he could feel was the terror and rage that had consumed him back then. He hadn't known where to look or what to do, so he just stayed where he was in the hopes that his dad would come back to him.

He had lost Metallicana, and then lost himself. Gajeel had been utterly broken by the time he wandered out of the woods and stumbled on Phantom Lord. He was absolutely fucked in the head, and hardly knew which way was up, had lived a good portion of his life like that until a feisty blonde decided to stand up to him. Another heartrending sob tore out of him, his muscles tensing as he tried to contain the magic inside of himself. He wasn't nearly ready to let it out just yet. There was still more he needed to do.

"_You've been threatened," the dragon whispered, "What do you do?"_

Gajeel snarled and clenched his eyes tightly, his jaw locking up and his muscles straining. "Make them pay," he growled.

"_How will you do it?" his inner dragon asked more insistently, standing to his full height and towering inside of Gajeel's mind._

"Like… a fucking… dragon," Gajeel answered. No way in hell would he be threatened, and now Gajeel understood it. Fairy Tail had threatened _him_, Gajeel. Mother. Fucking. Redfox. He was a Dragon Slayer, and there would be hell to pay for their actions against him. The Fairies had to see what they had unleashed. They had to understand it, and then beg him for forgiveness. They wanted to tear out his heart, the one piece of himself that had practically been encased in lead and had taken the shape of Lucy. She was part of him as far as Gajeel was concerned, so a threat to her meant a greater threat to himself. She was his, and as such had gained his protection. He'd prove to everyone that he wasn't too weak this time. He would stop anyone and everyone from following through with their plans to take away his happiness. _How dare they even fucking __**think**__ about it?!_

"_Good," the dragon growled with a grin. "Keep going. Let go of your control, and show everyone what a dragon is capable of."_

Gajeel would have nodded to his instincts if he could, but the well of his magic was overflowing almost painfully. This was way more power than he'd ever let out before, and he honestly had no idea that he was even capable of holding this much inside of himself. Minutes ticked by, feeling like hours as his head started pounding and sweat poured down his face, but Gajeel held onto the rage inside of himself. He let it fester and feed the torrential explosion that was about to happen. "I'll… tear out… their hearts," he growled, "Before… they… get mine." With a gasp, Gajeel's eyes shot open and he felt his magic finally snap.

Fairy Tail's guild hall was filled with a brilliant green light that shone brightly through every window before the wreckage commenced. Enormous iron beams crashed through the building, knocking down pillars, decimating whole walls, and throwing chairs and tables into pathetic splintered piles. The creaking and groaning of the wooden structure was met with a cacophonous shattering of glass when the entire bar was destroyed, and the only other sound that could be heard was the triumphant roar of a dragon that echoed through the streets of Magnolia. Debris crashed to the ground around the shaking Slayer that had fallen to his knees once his magic had shot out of himself, and Gajeel hardly registered that anything was happening.

He stared at the mangled remains of the main hall, his hair hanging limply over his eyes and plastered to his face while he panted. Dozens of iron beams were piercing through the hall, nearly everything was in shambles, and he realized that he'd done more structural damage than he'd originally planned. There was only one way to know for sure that he was finished, and that was to look at the exterior of the building. Gajeel shakily stood to his feet, and wobbled haphazardly over towards the kitchen to try and replenish some of the magic he'd used. He glanced at the clock and saw that he had only ten minutes to get to the train station, and found renewed determination filling him. His mission wouldn't be complete until he was back in Oak Town, regardless of the exterior damage to Fairy Tail. He had to be back before morning, otherwise it would be considered a failure. He rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a few metal utensils, shoving them into his bag as quickly as possible before bolting from the guild.

Gajeel's muscles were protesting every move he made, but he still ran as fast as his feet could carry him to the train station. He had only a couple of minutes to buy his ticket and board the train, and Gajeel took a single deep breath before getting it done. The clerk had looked at him with nothing but sympathy, clearly assuming that he'd been running late and worried that he would miss the last train. Gajeel ignored the standard assurances that the train wouldn't leave without him and boarded, finding mostly empty compartments. Once he was settled in a private compartment, and the train began its journey to carry him north, Gajeel took several deep breaths while he calmed his racing heart and replenished his magic. He pulled the lacrima from his pocket, wiped the sweat from his face, and then sent a small magic pulse through it to call Lucy. The sight that greeted him on the small orb caused a smile to break out across Gajeel's face, one that he didn't even try to hide. "Hey, Bunny," he said softly to the sleepy blonde that was glaring at him.

"Mm," Lucy mumbled, yawning and stretching, then rubbing her eyes. "Hey, hot stuff," she whispered, her voice thick with sleep. "Everything go okay?"

"I'm on my way home. Said I'd call," Gajeel said with a smirk. His heart melted, really and truly melted, when he saw her smile. All of the fear and anxiety he'd been harboring all day was washed away for the time being, and he was only left with a sense of comfort that her smile gave him.

Lucy glanced at her alarm clock, then frowned while her tired mind tried to do the math. "When will you be here?" she finally asked, giving up on any form of addition from her sleep-addled brain.

"Around three in the morning," Gajeel said, chuckling when Lucy pouted. "Did you guys get to bake that cake?"

Lucy smirked and nodded. "I made sure to save you a piece. I think you're gonna love it."

"Why's that?"

With a light blush on her cheeks, Lucy whispered, "I may have gotten some really yummy icing from a bakery."

Gajeel's jaw dropped, his eyes going comically wide while his body instantly sprang to life with the implications of what she'd said. "Really?" he asked slowly.

Lucy nodded again and sighed, laying her head back on the pillow. "Yep, and there's a good bit left over. So, after this shit's all finished…"

Gajeel grinned, feeling like a kid in a candy store. "Damn, I can't wait," he said softly, knowing that Ryos was sleeping right next to Lucy. "How'd he do today?"

"He did great," Lucy answered with another yawn. "Your Bunny wasn't worried at all. He was _very_ careful."

"Good," Gajeel said. He watched Lucy for a moment, her eyes drooping while she smiled at the screen. "Get some rest, okay Bunny?"

"Okay," Lucy whispered.

"Hey, one more thing," Gajeel said, his eyebrows pushing together slightly.

"Hm?"

"I've got something important to talk to you about after this is all over," Gajeel said. "Didn't wanna bring it up beforehand, but… I'll talk with you about it later, alright?" He wanted to at least take the first step in telling Lucy about everything, and all he could manage right then was letting her know that they needed to talk about it. No way in hell was Gajeel going to lay it all out there over a lacrima, especially not when she was already half-asleep. He was anxious, even just this small admission had made it happen, but Gajeel knew it was necessary. He couldn't let himself bite her again before he came clean about what they meant. Lucy deserved that much.

Lucy slowly opened her eyes, forcing herself to focus on Gajeel. "You sure?" she asked. "You can tell me now."

Gajeel shook his head and smirked. "Nah, I'd rather do it in person. Besides, you're tired and I don't feel like having you pass out in the middle of it."

Lucy pouted and said, "I can stay awake…"

"No," Gajeel chuckled. "Get some sleep. We'll talk later."

Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes, then whispered, "Fine. I love you, Black Steel."

"Heh, I love you more, Bunny," Gajeel whispered back, watching as she smiled one last time before drifting off to sleep with the lacrima in her hand. He couldn't help but sit there for a few minutes, just keeping an eye on the beautiful blonde that he'd sworn to protect. She was so happy, so peaceful, and the thought that being with him and talking with _him_ of all people made her feel that way was indescribable for Gajeel.

Finally, he cut off the lacrima and put it back in his pocket. There wasn't much for him to do while he was on the train, and he was still running on adrenaline from the immense amount of magic he'd let out along with the mad dash he'd made to the train station. Gajeel sighed and turned to look out the window, then grinned widely when he saw Magnolia fading into the distance. There, towering above the rest of the town, was the work he'd done on Fairy Tail. He could see it as clear as day, the iron pillars jutting out at every angle imaginable from the building. He'd attacked their hearts, just as they' threatened to do to his own. Gajeel felt justified in his actions, vindicated even. Dragons protect what's theirs, and any challengers to that simple truth would be hard-pressed to survive the repercussions. What Gajeel had done tonight was only a warning; one last chance for Fairy Tail to decide to leave them alone.

Deep down, he knew that this portion of Master Jose's plan was only the beginning for Fairy Tail. It didn't take a genius to put the pieces together. Jose wanted a covert operation to hit them where it hurt, to make the Fairies furious so they would launch an attack first. Gajeel didn't have all of the information on what was going to happen, but he was pretty damn sure that they would be seeing Fairy Tail banging down the doors of Phantom Lord in the morning. If Fairy Tail did end up coming to retaliate, then Gajeel knew he'd give the fight everything he had to keep Lucy, himself, and—_Shit, even Ryos,_ he thought—safe. If his warning to stay away went unheeded, Gajeel wouldn't hold back. It would be entirely impossible for him to do it. Hell, even his inner dragon was nodding at the train of thought he was stuck on, silently telling him that he'd have all the support he needed to do what was necessary.

* * *

><p>Gajeel's eyes shot open when the announcement came blaring over the speakers that they were arriving in Oak Town. He'd been in that strange state of half-consciousness where he was completely aware of his surroundings, but getting all the rest he could possibly manage while sitting on this now-uncomfortable seat. Once the train had stopped, Gajeel hopped up and made quick work of getting off the train. He wanted to get to Lucy's as quickly as possible, take a shower to get rid of the dust, sweat, and blood from his mission, then lay down and take in that sugary scent of hers with his arms wrapped around her perfectly slender waist.<p>

The walk from the train station to her apartment was usually around twenty minutes, but Gajeel was honestly just so happy to be back that he'd cut the time in half. Those ten minutes had been excruciating, knowing just how close he was to his destination but still far enough that he wasn't already with Lucy. He took the steps three at a time, and was finally facing the familiar door that led to the woman he loved. He silently opened the door, already knowing that Lucy was planning on leaving it unlocked for him when he came back, and then closed and locked it behind him. Gajeel carefully kicked off his boots, then walked over to her dresser and set his bag down on the floor. One glance at the bed had Gajeel smirking and shaking his head: Ryos was fast asleep on his side with Lucy curled around him from behind, with one arm circling around his waist and her nose nestled in his hair. It was how they'd slept the night before, except the only difference was that Gajeel wasn't already in bed lying behind Lucy and holding her.

Gajeel gave the pair one last look, then grabbed a pair of boxers from his bag and went to get that desperately needed shower. He waited until the bathroom door was closed to turn on the light, then got the water turned up to the perfect temperature. Once he was under the warm spray, Gajeel sighed in relief. He felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his chest, and he could only assume it was because he was back where he belonged. Lucy was safe, and sleeping—

Lucy lightly nibbled on her lower lip while she stepped into the shower behind Gajeel, instantly wrapping her arms around his narrow hips and teasing the piercings there. "Welcome home," she whispered, pressing her bare front against him and kissing just between his shoulder blades. She had woken up as soon as he walked inside, but had decided to see what he was planning on doing. It had been a relief that her face was hidden by Ryos' hair when she realized that Gajeel was watching the two of them lying on the bed, that way he couldn't see the light blush dusting across her cheeks. Once he'd walked into the bathroom, Lucy decided that she needed to make sure he was alright. The smell of dust and sweat was covering his normally metallic-cinnamon scent, and with her nose so close to him she was able to smell blood as well.

Gajeel chuckled and turned in Lucy's grasp, and sifted the fingers of one hand through her hair while he brought her lips to his. "I like the sound of that," Gajeel whispered back once their lips separated. He pressed his forehead to hers and deeply inhaled, then added, "Missed the hell out of you, Bunny."

"I missed you too, Gajeel," Lucy giggled while she brushed her nose back and forth over the piercings in his nose. "I'm glad you kept your promise."

Gajeel smirked at her and said, "I'm pretty sure you would have kicked my ass if I didn't. I've got a reputation to keep up, y'know."

"Yeah, can't have a harmless little Bunny beating up a Dragon, right?" Lucy asked, her smile brightening with each word. When Gajeel chuckled she sighed and laid her head against his chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart while her hands lightly massaged the tensed muscles running along his back. With one light kiss to the center of his chest, Lucy reached blindly behind herself and grabbed the bottle of shampoo she'd bought earlier for the times when Gajeel was staying at her place. After pouring a healthy amount into her palm, she closed the bottle and put it back on the little shelf before looking up into his curious crimson eyes. "Will you let me clean you up?" she asked innocently, even lightly nibbling her lower lip to add to the effect.

Gajeel raised his eyebrow, but nodded. He'd never had a woman clean him before. Hell, he was pretty sure no one had done it since he was a kid and didn't know how to do it himself. He smirked when Lucy tilted her head back and yanked on his hair, forcing his head lower so she could reach. Gajeel pressed his lips to hers, purring when he felt her fingers massaging his scalp and running through his hair again and again.

Lucy grinned as she pulled back from the kiss, watching each rippling muscle flex as Gajeel tilted his head back beneath the spray of warm water. His eyes slid closed to keep the soap out of them, his arms lifted as if they were in slow motion, and his hands finally sifted through his hair, sloughing off the suds. Several streams of soapy water slid down his chiseled chest, and all Lucy could do was watch with rapt attention while they dipped between his muscles, over the piercings in his hips, down his mouthwatering legs, and finally swirled down the drain. She had showered with Gajeel several times before, but it never got old to watch him like this.

Lucy's arousal wafted up through the steamy air, and nearly knocked Gajeel on his ass. He looked hungrily down at her, saw the light blush on her cheeks and how she was eying every bit of his body, but just before he could do anything she held out her hand with conditioner already poured into it. She stood up on her toes and smiled sweetly at him, making Gajeel's heart race, then smoothed her fingers through his hair again and again. "This smells like the shit I use, Bunny," Gajeel said with a smirk, watching as Lucy's blush deepened.

"You complained the last time you took a shower here, because you said you smelled like a bitch," Lucy shot back playfully. "I've showered at your place, and I remembered what brand you had, so I picked some up while Ryos and I were grocery shopping. Now you'll be all manly again."

Gajeel rolled his eyes, but still kissed the tip of her nose when Lucy pulled her hands away. He couldn't believe how much she picked up on from what he did or didn't say sometimes, or even that she would remember things like the bath products he used. Once he saw her pick up a washcloth and pour soap from yet another bottle that hadn't been here the day before, one quick whiff told him that she'd even gotten same damn soap. It was the only one he'd been able to find that didn't have an overbearing scent. Gajeel couldn't stand most men's soap, because the unscented kind just dried him out completely, and every other brand he'd tried had given him a headache from his heightened sense of smell. With a devious grin, Gajeel grabbed Lucy's waist lightly and spun so she was standing under the water.

Lucy squeaked and glared at Gajeel for only a moment before grinning and tilting her head to one side while she brought the washcloth to his chest, rubbing slow circles over him and fully enjoying the taut and powerful muscles just beneath that perfectly tanned skin of his. Down one of his pecks, brushing a little more forcefully over his nipple as she passed, towards his chiseled abs. Lucy loved every inch of Gajeel's body, and the way he felt under her hands as his muscles bunched and contracted was absolute heaven.

Gajeel had never considered that something as simple as being scrubbed down by a woman could so arousing. He was hyper-aware of every small movement Lucy made with the cloth. He'd felt her hands all over his body more times than he could count, and it had never failed to turn him on before. Now though… Now he was feeling those exact same touches she always gave him with a completely different texture, the soft fibers of the cloth becoming both softer and more bristle-like at the same time. She took her time washing his arms and hands, making sure to remove every bit of residual dust from Fairy Tail's destruction and the small spots of Team Shadowgear's blood that had spattered on him during the attack. Either Lucy had watched him very carefully during the times they'd showered together, or she was a damn mind reader when she started on the piercings in his arms. With the perfect amount of pressure, as if she'd been doing it for years, Lucy pushed down on the skin that surrounded the iron and slowly circled around it, using the tip of her thumbnail through the cloth to make sure there wasn't any excess dirt caught where his skin met the metal. He was astounded at the care she took to each seemingly tedious task—things he'd always just automatically done were suddenly brought to light—and Gajeel wondered how Lucy could just throw his whole world upside down with such simple acts of kindness like this.

Lucy paid no mind to the steady stream of water that was pouring down on her, only pausing in her quest to clean her Dragon to brush her hair off of her face and behind her ears. Gajeel hadn't stopped purring once while she washed him, and she took the same care to clean every small speck of filth from his other arm and hand before sliding back up to lightly scrub his neck. "You got pretty dirty tonight, huh?" she asked with a smirk while her cloth-covered hand slid down his chest and moved over to one hip, instantly decreasing the pressure to carefully circle around the tender piercings.

"Yeah," Gajeel answered breathily, watching the clear water cascading down each and every curve of Lucy's scrumptious body. He felt the first stirrings of his own arousal, his cock slowly twitching to life as if it wasn't going to push the issue of sex with Ryos in the next room. "Demolishing that guild from the inside made a shit-ton of dust fly up everywhere."

Lucy nodded and moved to the other hip then knelt down on the floor in front of Gajeel and started using both hands to smooth the soap over every inch of his thigh and calf, lightly massaging the muscles while working her way down to his foot. "As long as you were careful," she said, looking up to see Gajeel smirking down at her. "Did you _have_ to do that from the inside? You could have really gotten hurt…"

Gajeel's lecherous thoughts about Lucy being on her knees in front of him died when he saw the worry in her eyes while she started cleaning his other leg. "I stood in the center of the hall, and shot everything out from where I was at," he said softly. "I wasn't close enough to any areas that would have collapsed from hitting key points, unless I took all of them down. I made you a promise, Bunny. I had every intention of keeping it, especially when it was time to take the building down. I knew that one wrong move would mean I'd be hurt, so I was careful."

Lucy's smile was a little strained, but she nodded in understanding. She hadn't wanted him to leave in the first place, for fear that he wouldn't be there to help if she needed him or that he'd get hurt and never come back. It was just par for the course of a mage's life though: taking dangerous missions that you might not return from. Even the simplest of missions could have something go horribly wrong, and hesitation could be the difference between making it out alive or… not.

Gajeel sighed and pulled Lucy to her feet, stepping under the spray with her to wash off the soap that was still on him while he gently kissed her. "I'm okay, Bunny. I'm home, safe and sound. Nothing to worry about," he whispered against her lips, feeling her sweet breath slowly puffing out and mingling with his own in the small space between them. He groaned softly when her hands slid around him and started washing his back, lowering his lips to her again and feeling her slowly relaxing with each passing second.

From his broad shoulders down to the rounded and firm cheeks of his ass, Lucy made sure to feel every solid inch of Gajeel to assure herself that he was alright, and that he'd really come back safely. She'd been afraid she was dreaming the whole time, wondering if it was just so realistic because of how much she'd missed Gajeel, and how worried she had been all day. "Any reason there was blood on you, then?" she whispered. "The guild should have been empty when you attacked…"

Gajeel nestled his nose in her hair and shook his head, letting his eyes drift closed while he relaxed with each pass over his back from her dainty hands. "Found some Fairies for you," he said.

Lucy's eyes widened and she pulled back to look into his gleaming red eyes. "You did?" she asked.

Gajeel grinned and nodded, leaning down to kiss her forehead gently. "I'll tell you the whole story in the morning. We should get some sleep."

Lucy smirked, her eyes becoming hooded with lust. "How about you tell me a little now?" she purred. Her hands slid around from his back to run over the delicious muscles of his chest and abs, dropping the washcloth to the floor with a soft, wet thud. As they moved lower, she could practically feel the atmosphere between her and Gajeel changing, and even noticed his eyes darkening while they stayed locked on hers.

"Why would I do that?" Gajeel retorted, his own hands sliding down to lightly tease her puckering nipples with his thumbs. He knew exactly what she wanted—if the scent of her strengthening arousal in the air wasn't enough, then the path of her hands and that sexy look she was giving him were dead giveaways—and there was no way in hell that Gajeel would stop his feisty little vixen from getting her way.

Lucy's laugh was husky, her voice lowering as she said, "Maybe I want to hear about what my Dragon did."

Gajeel's eyes slid closed, his sharp teeth tugging at a small portion of his lower lip when her fingers danced along the coarse hairs just above his growing arousal. "You mean what I did for my Bunny…" He hadn't considered the fact that Lucy might be even remotely turned on when he'd gotten here, since he'd pushed his own thoughts of anything even close to sex out of his mind once he'd seen she was asleep. Now that she'd made it clear that her intention was anything involving his dick, Gajeel was more than happy to please.

"Tell me," Lucy rasped as her hand closed over him and started slowly stroking along his length. "Did you make them suffer?"

Gajeel moaned softly, then turned and pressed Lucy's back against the cool tile wall of the shower while one hand dipped between her slick folds. "Yeah," he groaned, sucking in a sharp breath when her hand tightened around him.

Lucy's free hand slid up his chest, her thumb brushing back and forth over his nipple in time with his torturous fingers teasing her entrance. "How much?"

Gajeel groaned as quietly as possible, still fully aware of the fact that Ryos was passed out in the other room, and slowly filled her with two fingers. "They won't be waking up for fucking days," he growled, grinning when Lucy gasped and shivered, her sex clenching around his fingers while he worked them back and forth inside of her dripping sex.

"Wh-Who?" Lucy whimpered, leaning in and pressing hot open-mouthed kisses to his chest and up to his neck. The small, whispered curse that fell from Gajeel's lips had fire burning through Lucy, her hand moving more insistently over his shaft and squeezing the piercings with each pass over them.

Gajeel grunted, his fingers matching her quickening pace along his length while he pistoned them into her weeping core. "The ones that followed us," he groaned. He couldn't hold back any longer. He loved having any part of himself inside of Lucy's tight little sheath, but he needed more. He was addicted to her, every bit of her, and the events of the day had his inner dragon insisting that he claim her in any way he could. Even if it wasn't actually marking her as his mate, Gajeel needed to mark her in a slightly less permanent way, to ravage her just the way she liked, fill her to the brim and listen to her moan his name, and make sure she was covered in his scent. It was primal, wild, totally animalistic, but he needed to do it to calm the wave of emotions inside of himself. "Fuck, I need you." Without a second thought, Gajeel withdrew his fingers and quickly picked Lucy up, pinning her to the wall.

"God yes," Lucy whispered, tangling her hands in his hair and forcing his mouth down to hers. She tried to suppress her moans while he ground his hardened member against her sex, and the only reason they weren't already echoing through the small room was because of Gajeel's mouth over hers, his tongue dipping and swirling in just the right way to drive her insane. She whimpered when she felt his flared head prodding her entrance, and tightened her grip on his hair while Gajeel slowly filled her. "Tell me more," she moaned softly between kisses, throwing a hand over her mouth when Gajeel started nipping his way across her jaw to her ear.

Gajeel's breath danced along Lucy's skin, and he grinned darkly when he realized how hard she was trying to stay quiet. "Dirty little Bunny," he chuckled as he started to move, feeling every inch of her tight channel gripping him and trying to suck him back into the deliciously velvety passage between her legs. "You're a sick little thing, huh?"

Lucy moaned behind her hand and her head tilted to rub her cheek along his while she nodded. Lucy pulled her hand away to pant hotly into Gajeel's ear, running her tongue along the dozen or so piercings lining the cartilage and tender lobe. "Tell me how strong my Dragon is… What did you do to them?"

Gajeel's grip on her ass tightened as he pulled Lucy onto him more forcefully. Lucy knew just what to do or say to please his wilder side, stroking the beast inside of him in a sensuous caress that had his whole body roaring to life. His inner dragon grinned at the prospect of his potential mate approving of how he'd protected her, how his strength had been more than enough to deal with the threat to her freedom. Lucy wanted him to be strong, and Gajeel felt a huge sense of satisfaction that he'd make her proud of what he'd done. He pressed his lips to her ear and groaned, "Ambushed them in the street. Beat them senseless—"

Lucy moaned and rolled her hips, her eyes rolling back and her breathing getting heavier with each thrust into her core. "Oh, Gajeel," she whimpered, keeping her voice as soft as possible. "More, I… Oh, God… I need more... Ooooh…" As her moans got louder, Lucy remembered that she'd pulled her hand away from her mouth, and quickly slapped it back over to muffle her cries of pleasure. She whimpered at the slight stinging in her face from the force of her hand, but it was washed away once Gajeel started to lose control.

"Fuck," Gajeel groaned, panting heavily in Lucy's soaked hair while he picked up the pace. He pounded into her relentlessly, losing himself in the sensations that threatened to overwhelm him. Gajeel had needed Lucy all day—needed to feel her touch, her hot plump lips on his flesh, her sweet scent filling his nostrils, and her sex tightening around his cock. Between her soft skin gliding against his and the warm spray of the shower beating down on his back, the steam of the shower making the air thick with each labored breath, he found that he was quickly bounding towards his release. He wasn't even aware of the fact that he had started growling next to her ear, continuing with the description she'd asked him for. "Dragged them to the park… Mmph… Pinned 'em to a tree and—Oh, Bunny!"

Lucy placed her feet on Gajeel's calves to give herself a little more leverage, then started riding his cock as quickly as she could, blazing passion flooding her system with each pass over those piercings that massaged her walls faster and faster. She moaned loudly behind her hand, using her other arm to wrap tightly around his neck. Gajeel's hands slid over her waist to roughly palm her breasts, tweaking her nipples with just enough pressure for her body to tense up and her hand to tighten over her mouth while she screamed.

"You want more, don't you?" Gajeel groaned, his mouth itching to dip down to her neck and sink his teeth into her flesh again. He wanted to bite her so badly when she finally crested that peak, but if he did it tonight then he wouldn't be able to stop himself from marking her. "You like hearing how they suffered, Bunny?"

"Mm-hmm!" Lucy nodded fervently, her eyes going wide when Gajeel growled wildly and moved faster and harder.

"God, you're so fucking sexy." Gajeel grunted again and again, feeling Lucy's sex slowly tightening around his shaft and loving each suppressed whimper and moan he heard from beneath her hand. "Made a chain… Ngh… And beat the fuck outta them," he whispered urgently. "Carved your guild mark… On the little bitch."

"Oh shit," Lucy whimpered, her hand falling away from her mouth while she roughly sucked on the skin above his throbbing pulse in his neck. Gajeel had given up on describing what happened to the Fairies he'd attacked, and all Lucy could hear between growls were some of the most erotic and enticing words to ever pass his lips. Anything and everything that seemed to come to mind for the Dragon Slayer—from how she felt around him to what he was planning on doing to her later on when they were alone—came rushing out, and Lucy felt her skin starting that wonderful sensitization that meant a very intense climax was coming her way. Lucy's teeth grazed his flesh lightly while she moved down and pulled yet another portion of his skin into her hot mouth, moaning as quietly as possible. When his hips angled slightly, Lucy's head shot up and her mouth opened to scream out her pleasure, but a large calloused hand clamped tightly over it.

"Mmm… You're so wet, Bunny," Gajeel growled against Lucy's neck, letting his teeth nip at her just enough to tease her and grinning when her sex rippled around him. "That's it… squeeze me nice and tight…"

Lucy's eyes rolled back, her back arching and pressing her breasts against Gajeel's chest, causing her nipples to rub over him again and again. She intentionally tightened her core around him, holding it as long as possible, and gasped when Gajeel snarled wildly before putting every ounce of strength into his pistoning hips. It was almost too much for her to handle, but Lucy just held on for the ride.

"Yesss," Gajeel hissed through gritted teeth. "Bun—Ohh Lucy! God you're so fucking _tight_…" He felt her nails digging into his back, scoring his flesh in a mark that he'd have for days. Lucy was marking him any way she could, from hickeys to scratches. She was claiming him in a way that had his mind trying to haze over, to give into the need to make her his mate. "That's it. Mark me up, make me bleed for you… It's all yours…" His hand tightened over her mouth, roughly pushing her head back against the wall while her nails raked down his chest, digging into the flesh in long angry lines that instantly dotted with blood. He lifted his head to meet her wide eyes with his own that were filled with a feral hunger only she could quench, his lips curling into a dark and erotic grin that showcased his pointed teeth. She was it for him, he was sure of it. Lucy was his, and his actions tonight proved that he'd do anything to keep her safe. Lucy was the key to his happiness, to everything that mattered in Gajeel's life. He wouldn't let _anyone_ take it away. "No one. Threatens. What's. Mine," he snarled, punctuating each word with a powerful thrust and a muffled scream from Lucy.

Lucy's body trembled violently as she hung on the cusp of her orgasm, his words and painfully deep plunges sending jolt after agonizingly sweet jolt of euphoria through her. The wild look in his eyes made her feel as though she was his prey, yet somehow also made her feel safe and protected. Warmth spread through her like a wildfire, consuming everything she was in an instant and leaving her feeling as though she'd been laid bare before him. Each and every insecurity or fear she'd ever had was burned away, and the charred remains of them blew past on a torrential wind that swept through her that left Lucy's head swimming. He'd done it for _her_, because he _cared_ about her. She knew that Gajeel loved her, and had never doubted it when she saw the sincerity in his eyes every time he said it. She honestly hadn't thought Gajeel would go as far as he'd described, and knew he left out a lot of what happened, but some dark and deeply sadistic part of her—some unexplored portion of her psyche—squealed excitedly before letting out a seductive purr over his protectiveness. She reveled in the feeling, not-so-secretly loving just what he'd done to make her feel this way.

"Say you're mine, Bunny," Gajeel grunted, gritting his teeth to fight against his release until she said the words he so desperately wanted to hear. "Always… Oh, fuck… Say it…"

Lucy roughly ripped Gajeel's hand from her mouth and whimpered his name, dragging those deliciously battle-hardened fingers down her slender throat to her breast and begging for his touch there.

Gajeel snarled again, pushing himself harder into her tightening sheath while giving into her silent plea. The sounds of their water-slicked skin roughly slapping against each other filled the room, nearly drowning out the water that had his hair clinging to his face and down over his shoulders, but Gajeel was captivated by those delectable chocolate eyes. "Mine," he growled again, his voice going lower as he fought against the desire to bite her. "Dragons. Protect. What's. Theirs." Again, he punctuated each word with a snap of his hips, pulling her legs further apart so he could feel even more of her gripping his cock that was ready to burst. "Are you mine?"

Lucy bit her lips against the pain, feeling tears stinging her eyes as he pushed even further into her, ramming himself in hard and fast. It was confusing that she could still be ready to explode around him when Gajeel was inadvertently hurting her, but she didn't want it to stop. Lucy was truly shocked to find out that she liked what he was doing, loved it even. Craved it. She looked deeply into his eyes for only a moment, her breath catching in her throat, before she cried out, "I'm yours, Gajeel! Agh! Always."

Gajeel growled and slammed his lips over hers, swallowing her garbled cry of his name once she fell over that wonderful edge into bliss. Her spasming sex made it impossible for him to hold off any longer, and with one last powerful thrust Gajeel filled her to the brim with his hot liquid. He shuddered, his hips flexing with each violent pulse of his release, and slowly lowered them to the floor of the shower as his lips slowed over hers. He heard Lucy sniffle while she trembled against him, and Gajeel went rigid while his eyes shot open. Sure enough there were twin streams running down her cherubic face from beneath her golden lashes. "Bunny?" he panted worriedly, his brow pushing together while he lifted a hand to her cheek. "What is it?"

Lucy's breathing was still ragged, so she peeked through her lashes for only a moment to see Gajeel's concern-riddled eyes staring back at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked urgently when she didn't say anything. He watched Lucy slowly nod, but there was something else behind her glistening eyes when she looked at him. Something he couldn't identify, even though he was positive that he knew what it was somewhere deep in his mind.

"I-I'm fine," she whimpered, shifting uncomfortably when she realized that Gajeel was still nestled inside of her.

He knew that look. And once Gajeel figured out what it was, it nearly tore his heart out. "I hurt you…" he said guiltily, feeling his chest tighten when she nodded again. "No… No, no, no… I don't want to hurt you, Bunny."

Lucy winced when Gajeel quickly pulled out of her, setting her gently down on the floor of the shower. She watched his eyes widen as he looked over her, finally settling just between her legs.

He smelled it before he saw it. It wasn't much, but that small red line that mixed with the water and swirled down the drain… It was just enough for him to feel like a total failure. "I… Goddamnit…" he muttered, shaking his head and looking back up at Lucy's face with wide eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt you…"

"I know," Lucy said, folding her arms across her middle and covering herself as much as possible, though she didn't even attempt to close her spread legs. She was confused by what had happened, and she honestly wasn't sure if she enjoyed it or not. If he'd hurt her during sex when she wasn't about to cum, would it have been that enjoyable? Why did she have the urge to force him to keep doing it, to have him ravage her and for his teeth to sink into her flesh? She'd felt like she needed it just to exist, and everything had gotten hazy. "I-I…"

Gajeel felt a defeated whimper crawling up his throat when Lucy hid herself from him. He'd let the beast have too much control, and he'd hurt her. He was the reason she had cried, the reason she had bled… _I have to make it up to her,_ he thought urgently, _I don't want her to be upset!_ "Let me clean you up," he whispered, picking up the discarded washcloth and slowly moving closer to Lucy. She nodded and sniffled, but didn't react otherwise as he came closer. That is, until he brought the cloth to the apex of her thighs.

Lucy flinched, her whole body still tender and sensitive from her climax. She would be sore later on, but the pain wasn't unbearable. Lucy had been lost in thought, trying to decipher what and how she should feel over her body's reaction to what happened at the end there.

"I'm sorry…" Gajeel whispered. "Shit, I'm so fucking sorry…"

Lucy's eyes went wide, her jaw dropping open in shock. Gajeel didn't apologize for _anything_, no matter how badly he fucked up. He'd admit to what he did wrong, but he didn't say he was sorry for doing it. "Y-You… apologized," she said, slightly dazed.

"Of course I apologized. I fucked up bigtime, Bunny," Gajeel shot back, looking from her eyes down to see the water that ran over her body was perfectly clear. "Why didn't you tell me I was hurting you?"

"I was confused," Lucy admitted sheepishly, curling in on herself more and grimacing while she broke away from Gajeel's penetrating gaze.

Gajeel sighed and slowly pulled her back into his lap, letting Lucy decide how she would settle herself there—which apparently was going to be by straddling him. "You've gotta tell me if I'm hurting you. I got too rough, and—"

"No," Lucy said slowly, her head tilting to one side and a slight frown on her face. "Part of me really liked it… It was painful, but…" She paused and a deep blush crept across her cheeks. "I wanted more…"

"Y-You did?"

Lucy nodded slowly, still not entirely sure why she'd felt the way she had. "Yeah. There was something just screaming out that I needed it... I don't get it, but I don't want to right now. I'll figure it out later."

Gajeel wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close. "I'm really sorry, Bunny," he whispered. "You know I don't want you to be in pain…"

"I know," Lucy said while she wrapped her arms around Gajeel and kissed him softly. "I forgive you, Gajeel. I'm okay now. I'm not bleeding anymore." She reached over and pulled the washcloth from Gajeel's hand, then carefully cleaned his limp member, smiling when he moaned softly and shivered. Once Lucy was finished, she put the cloth back in his hand and slowly brought it to her sex while she propped herself up on her knees. "Will you help me clean up?"

"Will you be alright?" Gajeel asked cautiously, "I don't wanna hurt you more..." Once he saw Lucy's soft smile, felt her lips press to his forehead, and heard her hum an affirmative, Gajeel looked down and slowly moved the cloth along her sex. He felt her tense up, and stopped once her hand shot down and covered his.

"Careful," Lucy whispered, laying her head on top of Gajeel's. "Like this." She moved his hand slowly, barely brushing against her but still cleaning her off. Once they were finished, Lucy pulled the washcloth away and leaned back just enough for the water to run over both of them to help rinse them off. "Thank you for taking care of me," she whispered with a sweet smile.

"Always," Gajeel said automatically, finally feeling himself relaxing a little when he saw that Lucy wasn't upset with him. "You know, I'm just as much yours as you are mine."

Lucy sighed and laid her head on Gajeel's shoulder. "I already knew that, silly," she said.

"I'm serious," Gajeel said, his brow pushing together while he pulled her closer and nestled his nose in her hair. "I did a fuck ton of thinking on that mission, and I told you that there's some shit we needed to talk about."

Lucy frowned, unsure of what Gajeel was trying to tell her, but nodded so he would continue.

"I don't want you to worry about it until after all of this Fairy bullshit is handled, so that's why I didn't bring it up sooner," Gajeel said, sighing and shaking his head. He felt like an idiot for even bringing anything up, especially with how tense Lucy had become once he started talking. The only problem was that he couldn't stop himself from at least telling her a little bit of what was on his mind. Normally, Gajeel was a closed-off son of a bitch, less willing to talk shit out than beat someone to a bloody pulp over things, but he had to push past his aversion to things like that when it came to a serious topic like this. "I just wanted to let you know that there's something I wanna tell you, that way… I don't know… I guess, in case something happens… At least I'll have _tried_."

"Gajeel," Lucy whispered, lightly kissing his chest. "This sounds really important. Why don't you just tell me?"

Gajeel shook his head. "Not yet… I wanna tell you more than fucking anything, but I can't yet. I have to know that you won't get taken away from me first."

"I'm not going anywhere though," Lucy insisted, lifting her head to look into Gajeel's worried ruby orbs. "You won't lose me. No matter what happens, I'll find a way back to my Dragon."

Gajeel averted his gaze and nodded slowly, sighing when Lucy's fingers brushed through his hair and over his eyebrows. "Just wait until it's done, then I'll tell you," he said, his voice cracking slightly as his throat clogged with the fear he'd been fighting against all day. "Goddamnit…"

Lucy's eyes went wide when she watched Gajeel drop his head to her shoulder and heard him take a shaky breath. She felt warm rivulets running down her chest from where his head was at, and then felt the first stirrings of a silent sob wrack through Gajeel's perfectly cut muscles. Her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders, ignoring the way his pierced brows dug into her flesh, and Lucy whispered softly into his ear, "It's alright, Gajeel. I'll wait as long as you need me to, okay?"

Gajeel nodded quickly, tightening his grip around her waist. "I don't want to fucking lose you," he whimpered. If he hadn't had a shitty day full of nothing but his own thoughts for company, along with the bullshit those two Fairies had started saying about Lucy and himself, maybe he wouldn't have been in this predicament. Considering what he'd had to deal with, and the memories that had resurfaced while he channeled his magic to attack the guild hall, Gajeel couldn't give a single flying fuck over the fact that he was crying. It was clear that Lucy had figured out what was happening, but she wasn't even mentioning it, and damn if that didn't just make him want to bawl like a fucking baby to get it out of his system. She knew what he needed right then, and she was more than willing to give it to him. "I can't… It'd fucking kill me if…"

"Shh," Lucy whispered. "It's okay."

"Bunny," Gajeel said, the single word trembling while he held her tightly to him. "I lose everyone I care about. I can't tell you and then have you ripped away from me… I need you… I need you so goddamn much. You make everything alright for me… I-I don't…"

"You don't, what?" Lucy asked gently.

"I d-don't feel like a total fuck-up with you… I-I…" Gajeel cried, clenching his eyes and giving himself over to the desperation to keep Lucy in his life. "Fuck, Bunny. P-Please don't go, okay? Please… Please… I can't fucking lose you, too. I w-won't…"

Lucy winced when Gajeel's grip around her tightened while he buried his face in her neck and hair, his open sobs quieted only slightly. She listened to his nearly incoherent rambling for as long as he needed, the same broken pleas for her to stay. It broke her heart to hear him this way. It was the exact opposite of the Gajeel she'd met four months before, but she honestly preferred being able to see and hear what he really thought and felt.

"Don't leave me, Bunny," Gajeel whimpered, knowing full-well just what it would sound like. Honestly, he couldn't give a shit less what it sounded like, because he meant every word of it. "P-Please… Promise me…"

"Gajeel," Lucy whispered gently, brushing his hair behind his ear with wide and astonished eyes. He had asked her not to leave or disappear before, but never not to leave _him_. Asking her not to leave _him_ brought about a whole series of questions, but she had an inkling that it was closely tied with what he wanted to tell her about later on. "I… I don't know what to say…"

Gajeel flinched as though he'd been struck with a branding iron straight through his heart, but he still held onto her. He couldn't let her go, no matter how much he felt as though he should just push her away from him. He needed her. It was as simple as that.

"Why would you want me to promise something like that?" Lucy asked, still stroking Gajeel's hair and frowning at how he seemed to be closing himself off from her. "You can tell me. It's okay."

"I l-love you," Gajeel said desperately, "Please, Bunny… I'll get on my knees and fucking b-beg if I have to…" He felt like he was riding along a single water molecule as it swirled around and around the drain of the shower. He was dizzy, couldn't breathe, and felt like his world was shattering right in front of him. "I didn't mean to hurt you before. If… If you're upset, y-you can tell me. I'll fix it, I swear… Just don't go… Please… D-Don't leave me alone, Bunny…"

"Gajeel, what happened on your mission?" Lucy asked softly. "You never talk like this."

Gajeel shook his head and whimpered at just the thought of it. Who would have thought that he, Black Steel Gajeel, would be doing something as pathetic as this? Crying all over the woman he loved after fucking her brains out, all because he was scared of losing her. Scared didn't even seem to cover the emotions roiling inside of him. He was absolutely terrified. He had a tendency to fuck up anything he touched, and he'd only proven it tonight when he hurt her. He hadn't meant to do it, but it had happened nevertheless, and now… Now he was stuck with the idea of her leaving him once she found out about the bites. He'd been less frightened to tell her that he loved her, but he'd used a bite to actually admit it. He couldn't even get away with the same crutch this time…

"I can't answer you until you tell me," Lucy insisted. "I'm right here, and I'll listen. You have to tell me."

"That stupid bitch," Gajeel ground out through clenched teeth. "And one of the guys. They were talking shit about you; about us. I fucking lost it both times. He didn't say much before I shut him up, but _her_… What she said…" Gajeel stopped and growled, though his tears still streamed down his face. "It's like she got right into my fucking head and threw every single goddamn thing I've been worried about right in my face."

Lucy's face hardened as she quietly asked, "What did she say?"

Gajeel's eyes shot open and he lifted his head to look at Lucy. Her voice had gone from sweet and soothing to venomous, and there was even a slight growl behind those four little words that made Gajeel oddly aroused. "She said I'm trash; that I'm nobody, and it's all I'll ever be. That there's something wrong with you for 'stooping so low' to be with me. Once I'm gone, you'll just jump to the next guy and get him wrapped around your finger like I am. You'll forget about me if we're separated. She said you were just waiting for someone to take you back to the good life… That I'm… nothing."

Lucy was bristling with rage, but she forced it just beneath the surface and brought her hands up to cup Gajeel's face. She sighed while she wiped his tears away, then shook her head slowly. "None of that's true, Gajeel. You know that," she said.

"Bunny, do you have any fucking idea how many times I've thought you'd get tired of my bullshit and fucking leave? Like tonight when I hurt you…" Gajeel asked with a deepening frown. "I've always felt like just what she called me. That I'm nobody, or trash. Like I'm not important enough for anyone to stick around and give me a goddamn chance to prove I'm not like that. I'm a bastard, and you deserve a hell of a lot more than I can give you." Gajeel roughly ran a hand over his face, then reached back and turned off the water that had long gone cold. "I need you," he whispered, turning to look away from her. He couldn't look into her eyes while he was like this. "I had to think about my past while I was attacking the guild. It was the only way to get my magic to do what I needed it to. Everyone I've lost, how alone I've always been, finding you, how fucking scared I am of losing you. All of it."

"Why?"

"Because they threatened to steal from me," Gajeel growled, his eyes narrowing and his lip curling up derisively. "They want to take my happiness away. It's selfish, but I'm a selfish motherfucker. You don't threaten a dragon—Slayer or otherwise…"

"It sounds like you've had a really shitty day," Lucy sighed softly, pulling Gajeel's head back against her shoulder and nuzzling his hair.

"Shitty doesn't even begin to describe it," Gajeel grumbled. "Fucking crying like a baby all over you just adds onto it…"

"It's fine," Lucy whispered. "I've done the same to you, remember? I seem to recall someone telling me that a few tears are perfectly fine after a long, shitty day."

Gajeel nodded, sniffling slightly while his fingers started tracing light, random patterns along Lucy's bare back. "You're everything I've ever needed, Bunny. I mean it… I'm not alone now. You actually make me feel like I belong somewhere. Like I'm worth _something_."

"I promise," Lucy finally said, smiling when Gajeel's breathing stuttered. "I'll never leave you, Gajeel. I need you just as much as you need me, and that's never gonna change. You _are_ worth something. You're _everything_ to me. I'm sorry I didn't answer sooner… I just didn't understand why you were suddenly so worried about it. I get it now, though. I won't leave you. You have my word."

Gajeel shuddered and brought his lips to Lucy's neck again and again. "Thank you," he whispered. "I wish I could just tell you about that other stuff now… You should have known from the beginning."

"Why don't you tell me what it's about in general, then?" Lucy asked. "Maybe it'll help."

Gajeel sighed, running his nose along the bite mark that was still covered with a scab on her shoulder. "Us."

"Well, what about us?" Lucy asked carefully. "I kind of already figured that much out."

Gajeel frowned, sniffling as quietly as possible to minimize the reality of his little breakdown. He honestly wanted to lay it all out there, to tell Lucy everything right then, but he couldn't get the words out. He was scared as hell to do it with the threat hanging over their heads like a damn guillotine, just waiting for the right moment to come down and slice right through everything they had together. "I… I can't say it yet," he whispered guiltily. "I will though… After this shit's all done, I will…" It wasn't fair to keep Lucy in the dark on this shit, and it was Gajeel's fault that she didn't already know about it to begin with. _I should have fucking told her sooner…_

"Okay. It's something about us. I can live with that until this whole Fairy Tail thing is done." Lucy smiled softly. "You won't lose me, you know," she added, "You've got my heart all wrapped up and tucked away in that damn hoard of yours. Even if I tried to leave, I'd have to come back for my heart…"

"You'll never get it back," Gajeel whispered.

"Guess I'd have to fight you for it, huh?" Lucy asked, giggling when Gajeel nodded. "It's hopeless then. I can't beat a dragon... Especially not one that's as strong as you are. I'm just a little Bunny."

Gajeel sniffled and then smirked before he gently kissed her shoulder. "But you're _my_ little Bunny. I'd give it to you if you really wanted it back, I guess… You're the only one that could take it."

"Nope," Lucy chirped. "I don't _ever_ want it back. My heart's all yours, Gajeel. Until the end of time."

Gajeel grinned and lightly nipped at Lucy's shoulder, hope flaring in his chest that maybe it wouldn't be as terrifying to tell her about mating after all. He was still going to wait, but at least her statement had eased his mind on the matter of her agreeing to it. "Damn, way to make a guy feel good," he chuckled.

"It's my job," Lucy giggled, lifting Gajeel's head from her shoulder and smiling sweetly at the man she'd fallen for. She saw the signs of the tears he'd shed—the slight puffiness of his eyes and how they were still glistening slightly—but all Lucy did was bring her thumbs to his cheeks and wipe away any excess tears before she brought her lips to his in a chaste kiss. "Now, let's get to bed. You need some serious sleep, and I think a good dose of Bunny cuddles will do wonders to make you feel better."

Gajeel chuckled again and nodded, standing up slowly and then helping Lucy to her feet. Gajeel was beyond exhausted by the time they stepped out of the shower and started drying off, and it seemed as though the day was finally catching up to him completely.

Lucy sighed happily once they were dressed, and Gajeel slid his arms around her waist from behind. She leaned her head back on his chest and looked at their reflection in the mirror only to meet Gajeel's softened eyes looking back at her. "We really make a pretty strange looking couple, huh?" she mused with a smirk.

"If we were a couple, then yeah," Gajeel said with a smirk of his own. "Tiny, innocent-looking blonde…"

"And a big, scary guy," Lucy finished with a light laugh, her fingers lightly tracing the piercings in his forearms. Her eyes slid closed for a moment when Gajeel's chest started rumbling in that wonderfully soothing purr she loved to hear, but it all disappeared when he tensed behind her.

Gajeel frowned as he listened intently to the room just beyond the bathroom door. Ryos was the only one out there, but he was tossing and turning like crazy, whimpering just a little. "Bunny," Gajeel whispered, "Go check on the br—"

"AHHHHHHHH!"

Lucy's eyes shot open when the single loud shriek echoed through her small apartment. She tore herself from Gajeel's embrace and whipped the bathroom door open a little too forcefully, then rushed over to the bed to see Ryos sitting up and staring wide-eyed around the room. "Ryos?" she asked worriedly, running her hands over his trembling arms again and again while she knelt on the bed, "What's wrong?"

Ryos panted heavily, his eyes darting back and forth across the room. He noticed how much light was actually filling the room, and a quick glance over to the source showed Gajeel leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom, watching him with a single raised eyebrow and an otherwise blank face.

"Come on, sweetie," Lucy whispered gently, bringing her hands to his face and forcing him to meet her gaze. "Talk to me."

Ryos whimpered again and lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Lucy's waist and squeezing his eyes shut. "You were gone," he whispered. "You left, and I couldn't find you… Then I woke up and you weren't here…"

Lucy turned to give Gajeel a sad smile. It seemed the fear of losing someone they cared about was something that these two Slayers had in common. "I was just in the bathroom, Ryos," she said tenderly, running her fingers through his hair. "Gajeel got back a little while ago."

Ryos nodded, already having figured out what she and Gajeel had been doing based on how she smelled, but he still clung to her like his life depended on it.

Gajeel sighed and turned off the light to the bathroom, wincing when he heard Ryos whimper again, then made his way over to his side of the bed. "Come on, let's get some rest," he said softly.

Lucy nodded, then kissed the top of Ryos' head. "Gajeel's right. We need to get back to sleep."

"I don't think I can," Ryos whispered, his voice shaking from the fear still coursing through him.

"Sure you can," Lucy said with a warm smile. "I'll help you. But let's get comfy, okay?"

Ryos nodded and slowly pulled his arms from around Lucy's waist. He sat completely still while she crawled to the space in the center of the bed, the same place she'd slept the night before so she would be between himself and Gajeel. Once she was settled, he laid down with his back facing her and sighed while he forced his eyes closed.

Lucy giggled and said, "Roll over, Ryos. I can't help you sleep like that."

"Huh?" Ryos asked.

Gajeel smirked and lightly kissed Lucy's shoulder before he nuzzled her hair affectionately. "She's gonna hold you, brat," he said. "Just do what Bunny says."

Ryos frowned, but rolled over nonetheless. He lifted his head up slightly when Lucy's arm slid under the pillow he was using, then sighed when both of her arms wrapped around him protectively. Finally, after seeing the sweet, encouraging smile from the blonde, Ryos snuggled closer and laid his head just under her collar bone while he wrapped an arm around her waist, unintentionally draping his hand over Gajeel's side in the process.

"Close your eyes," Lucy whispered. She felt Ryos nod slowly, then took a deep breath and smiled while her own eyes closed and she thought about one of the few memories she had of her mother. She remembered just what her mom used to do when Lucy had a bad dream, every syllable of the song she used to sing to the scared little girl to help lull her back to sleep. Lucy lifted a hand to Ryos' head and brushed her fingers through his hair again and again while she started humming softly to him.

_Lay by my side, and we'll sail away._

_Off to the shores of another day._

_All set to go once I hear you say._

_Goodnight, my friend, until the morning._

Ryos smiled when he heard Lucy's lilting voice ringing softly through the air. He was perfectly comfortable, the fear of her really being gone dissipating with each sweet note that passed her lips. He couldn't remember anyone ever having sung him a lullaby before, not even Skiadrum, but it was definitely something he loved. It didn't matter how old he was, since Ryos knew that usually lullabies were for little kids. He loved it because Lucy was doing it just for him.

_Up we will float as we close our eyes._

_Stars all around us like fireflies._

_Just me and you drifting through the skies._

_Goodnight, my friend._

Gajeel had never actually heard Lucy sing before that night. He'd heard her humming softly from time to time, but she never actually let any lyrics pass her lips when anyone was around. He nestled closer to her and smiled softly, realizing just how soothing her beautiful voice was while she sang. He could hear her smiling while he wrapped his arm around both her and Ryos, and felt her fingers lace gently with his around the boy's back. His inner dragon purred contentedly, and Gajeel could see it curling up into a sleepy ball, a matching smile on its face as its eyes closed.

_Not a thought._

_Not a care._

_Resting safe and sound._

_With each other there._

_And so we'll rock on a nighttime ride._

_Cozy and warm on the rolling tide._

_Till we arrive on the morning side._

_Our journey's end._

Lucy's heart melted when she heard and felt both of her Slayers purring happily while they held onto her. Ryos' was much lighter and more even as he fell asleep, and it was then that she realized it must be something that all Dragon Slayers do when they're happy. The fact that Gajeel had even joined in on the touching moment—wrapping his arm around both her and Ryos, purring, and nestling his nose in her hair while occasionally giving her a light kiss—all had Lucy at a loss for words aside from the lyrics of the lullaby she was singing. It hadn't taken long for Ryos to find his way into her heart, and Lucy didn't even question why she already felt like he was her little brother. She just wanted to take care of the young boy in any way she could, since he really was a sweetheart.

_Goodnight._

_Sleep tight._

_We're gonna be alright._

_Goodnight, my friend._

Once she was finished, Lucy pressed a soft kiss to the inky black hair of the boy in her arms and softly whispered, "Sweet dreams, Ryos."

"He's pretty damn lucky, you know that?" Gajeel whispered once Lucy laid her head back down.

"Why do you say that?"

Gajeel nuzzled her hair again and again, a soft smile on his face that wouldn't go away as he said, "He's got you to help him out."

"You're here too," Lucy retorted, blushing slightly.

"Not the same, Bunny," Gajeel said. "I can't do what you just did for him."

"My mom used to sing that song to me when I had a bad dream," Lucy whispered. "I guess I just figured it would help him like it did for me."

"Looks like it did."

"Well, you're pretty lucky yourself, Black Steel," Lucy said softly, turning her head and smiling when Gajeel leaned over to kiss her gently before he snuggled closer to her. "You've got both me and Ryos now."

Gajeel sighed and nodded. "Guess you're right," he whispered, "Let's get some shut eye, Bunny. Long day tomorrow."

"I love you, Gajeel," Lucy whispered. "Sweet dreams."

"Love you too, Lucy," Gajeel said with a grin, listening to Lucy's breath catch in her throat for a second before her grip on his hand tightened slightly. "Sweet dreams."

* * *

><p><strong>Aww! They're the cutest little family, huh? So, what did you guys think of my take on Gajeel's mission? Poor guy's had a rough day, what with the psycho rampaging and crying, but at least he gets to get a healthy dose of "Bunny cuddles" :D<strong>

**Also, if you'd like to hear the song Lucy sings to Ryos, it's here: (youtube) watch?v=Jx5_DGo_sjI**

**It's from the show **_**Galavant**_**, so if you haven't seen that… You kinda need to get on it. It's hilarious!**

**Alrighty! Review, Follow, Favorite! I love you guys!~~GemNika**

**Shout-outs to my lovely CFLA ladies for helping me out with Gajeel's mentality while he was attacking FT. And Nana, you're a fucking angel for letting me vent and reassuring me to go with my confused tofu-taco filled gut! HAHA!**


	13. A Threat to Family

**A/N: Alright everyone. You'll love me and hate me. You'll see why. ON TO THE STORY!**

**Also, it's pretty damn late (2 AM, and I have to wake up at 7:30...), so I hope the chapter is to your liking. I've editted and re-editted quite a bit over the past few days, and I just wanna get it out to you guys already!**

**(I don't own Fairy Tail.)**

* * *

><p>"<em>Well, you're pretty lucky yourself, Black Steel," Lucy said softly, turning her head and smiling when Gajeel leaned over to kiss her gently before he snuggled closer to her. "You've got both me and Ryos now."<em>

_ Gajeel sighed and nodded. "Guess you're right," he whispered, "Let's get some shut eye, Bunny. Long day tomorrow."_

_ "I love you, Gajeel," Lucy whispered. "Sweet dreams."_

_ "Love you too, Lucy," Gajeel said with a grin, listening to Lucy's breath catch in her throat for a second before her grip on his hand tightened slightly. "Sweet dreams."_

~.~

Lucy smiled softly when the door to the bathroom closed behind Ryos, and she waited for only a moment before sitting down on the bed next to the still-sleeping Iron Slayer whose face was buried in her pillows. She opened the drawer on her nightstand and pulled out a small bottle of oil that Cancer had given her to help soothe sore muscles, and poured a large amount into her hand before closing the bottle and setting it back on the nightstand. While she rubbed her hands together to warm the oil up, Lucy crawled across the bed on her knees and carefully straddled Gajeel's lower back. "Time to wake up, sleepyhead," she said with a smile, bringing her hands down to the broad expanse of his bare shoulders and massaging them in slow circles.

"Mmm," Gajeel hummed sleepily, moving one hand up to brush his hair away from his back before letting it flop down onto the bed. "Morning to you too, Bunny."

Lucy giggled and shook her head at just how lazy her dragon could be in the morning. She couldn't really blame Gajeel for being tired since he'd had a real shit of a day during his mission, and that was what had given Lucy the idea to try and help the muscles she knew were tensed and knotted over one another get a little relief.

"How are you feeling?" he mumbled, humming his approval at how Lucy seemed to know exactly where he needed her hands to be and how much pressure to use.

"I'm fine," Lucy said softly. "I was a little sore when I woke up, but it went away."

Gajeel frowned and nodded slowly when he remembered just _why_ Lucy was in pain to begin with. He heard the shower turn on just as he was about to ask where Ryos was at—since Lucy was sitting on him in what he could tell was still the skimpy clothing she called pajamas that consisted of a tank top and shorts.

"No frowning today, do you hear me?" Lucy said softly, smirking when she heard the shower going. She hopped off of Gajeel and washed her hands in the kitchen, then opened her refrigerator and got what she needed before walking back into the main room. She came back to see that Gajeel had sat up slowly on the bed and was facing away from her, so Lucy went back to the bed and moved to kneel behind the exhausted Slayer. "Close your eyes," she whispered slyly.

"Beat you to the punch," Gajeel mumbled. "I'm a fucking zombie right now…"

Lucy giggled and rolled her eyes, then leaned forward and pressed her chest to his back. She kissed his ear only once, then whispered, "Open your mouth. Don't ask questions, just do it."

Gajeel sighed and let his jaw drop open, far too tired to even think about arguing with the blonde this early in the morning—even though he didn't have a clue what time it actually was. He was instantly rewarded for his compliance by having Lucy's forearm pressed to his lips, her pulse dancing right against his teeth. He wanted to pull back and yell at her to chill the hell out, since he was ready to pass out again, but when Gajeel's tongue flicked out just slightly, he was instantly confused and intrigued by what he found. There on Lucy's arm was the second sweetest thing he'd ever tasted in his life, a cheap imitation of the scent that came from the gorgeous blonde herself.

"Thought you might want something to brighten up your day a little," Lucy whispered sweetly, nibbling on her lip when Gajeel took his time to lick up every trace of the icing she'd put on her arm. She heard a soft groan spill from him when his tongue brushed across her arm before lightly sucked the flesh into his mouth.

"No doubt about it, Bunny," Gajeel said as he ran his nose back and forth over her arm, "You _definitely_ taste better than icing. It might smell like you, but you're way better." Gajeel tiredly smiled when Lucy giggled and wrapped both of her arms around his shoulders and pulled him back towards her. He sighed and let himself relax while laying his head on her shoulder, keeping his eyes closed and just enjoying the sweet serenity that was his morning. It seemed that Lucy just had a way of easing him into the day—which was saying something since he absolutely abhorred waking up—and he couldn't get enough.

"How about you lay down with me?" Lucy asked, running her nose along Gajeel's cheek and grinning when she saw just how relaxed he was.

"I thought you wanted me to wake up."

Lucy smiled and kissed Gajeel's jaw, then pulled away and waited for him to lie back down on the bed. "You're getting spoiled for right now," she said, "Come on, don't make me change my mind."

Gajeel rolled his eyes behind his closed eyelids and laid himself back down on the bed, rolling over and quickly tucking Lucy right up against him. After a moment, he nestled his nose in her hair and settled the blanket back over the both of them. "Why's that?" he mumbled.

"Because you made your Bunny _extremely_ happy yesterday," Lucy said with a wide grin, watching as a subdued, but no less smug, grin crept onto Gajeel's face. She slid her hands to his back again and started back up on the massage that she'd so abruptly stopped earlier. "You had a horrible day, but you were out there protecting me. The least I can do is to take care of you, and make you just as happy as you've made me."

"You don't have to do a damn thing," Gajeel mumbled. "It's my job to keep my little Bunny happy and safe. Those Fairies just better take that damn warning serious—"

"Shh," Lucy whispered, lightly kissing Gajeel's chest while spreading her fingers and sliding from the base of his spine up towards his neck. "If it's your job to keep me safe and happy, then it's my job to do the same thing for you."

"You plan on keeping me safe from something?" Gajeel teased as he moved one hand to playfully poke at her slender bicep.

"I'll do whatever I need to, Gajeel," Lucy said seriously. She felt Gajeel stiffen slightly and watched as his eyes creaked open. "I might not be able to take down a building like you, but I'll still protect you."

"Why?" Gajeel asked slowly. His mind was warring with itself over what she'd said. The dragon inside was absolutely ecstatic that Lucy wanted to protect him in any capacity, especially because of what those words meant when it came to what Metallicana had taught him. His head was stuck between wanting to be offended that she thought she'd be able to protect him from something that he wasn't capable of handling on his own, and rationalizing that the dragon needed to calm the fuck down since Lucy didn't know just how much weight her words held for a Slayer. Gajeel knew that he was a human with the added instincts of a dragon from gaining his magic, but more often than not, he tended to react as a dragon would—just like his father taught him to do.

"Why wouldn't I?" Lucy asked softly, kissing his chest again while her hands started massaging from his shoulders to his neck and back. "I love you, silly. I want you to be happy, just like you want me to be happy. You might be physically stronger than me, but I can still protect you from everything else. No one gets to upset you without dealing with me."

"Bunny," Gajeel whispered, closing his eyes again so she couldn't see just what her words had done to him. They'd unraveled him right then and there. He could still rationalize that she didn't know what those words would really mean to him, but the other part that was trying to piss him off over the whole thing died out in an instant. He knew for a fact that the one thing she would always be able to protect better than himself was the pathetic little pumping bit of muscle that he called a heart. Sure, his physical heart was strong and resilient, but his emotions? His ability to love, to feel anything aside from anger? The compassion he'd long since abandoned? Lucy wasn't just protecting what little Gajeel had of the emotions he'd locked away so long ago; she was strengthening them each and every day.

Lucy smiled and brushed her nose back and forth along Gajeel's chest. "You're just as much mine as I am yours, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, for as long as we want," Gajeel said, lightly squeezing her in his embrace and kissing the golden locks that always reminded him of summer.

"Well, Bunnies protect what's theirs too, y'know," Lucy whispered as she wrapped her arms around his waist and listened to Gajeel chuckle. "Those Fairies you found are lucky I wasn't there, otherwise they wouldn't have survived."

"Enough about that right now," Gajeel whispered gently. "I don't wanna think about those pieces of shit this early in the morning."

Lucy nodded her understanding and they laid in a comfortable silence for several minutes, with Gajeel nuzzling her hair and Lucy's hands lightly trailing over his back again. Finally, when she felt Gajeel jolt just a little as if he was struggling to stay awake, she whispered, "You're exhausted, so get some more rest. Ryos said he'll just read for a while until it's time to get going for the day."

"Still don't know why you woke me up just to tell me to go to sleep…"

Lucy giggled and kissed Gajeel's chest as she said, "I just wanted to give you a massage before I got started on breakfast, but you still look exhausted..."

"I haven't eaten since breakfast yesterday, Bunny," Gajeel muttered, "And I had just enough metal to finish the job and get some energy back afterwards. Just tired and sore… Well, I _was_ sore before you decided to use those magical fucking hands of yours on my back."

Lucy frowned while she kept massaging Gajeel's back, slowly working her way down and double-checking to make sure she hadn't missed a single knot. "What do you mean you haven't eaten?" she asked.

Gajeel sighed and said, "After I got off the lacrima with you, I ended up zoning out until it was almost ten. By the time I got back home I was too tired to even think about eating." He paused and chuckled, then whispered, "Someone helped to wake me up a bit with their sweet ass though."

Lucy blushed and kissed Gajeel's collar bone. "You're welcome, then?"

"Definitely," Gajeel sighed contentedly, tightening his hold on Lucy for a moment while pressing his lips to her hair. "I really needed to get that shit off my chest last night, Bunny… Thanks for that."

"Any time, Black Steel," Lucy whispered. "You know that you can tell me anything. You're not alone anymore, so you don't have to keep it all bottled up like that ever again."

"Not making any promises on that one," Gajeel said with a lazy smirk. "I've been doing that shit for years." He did everything he could to keep Lucy from seeing just how much of a sap he was turning into over the things she said. His earlier thoughts that she could protect his heart only seemed to be bolstered just then. _I'm not alone anymore,_ he thought in wonder.

When Gajeel yawned, Lucy pulled her hands back around to sit between the two of them, then slid herself up until her back was resting against the headboard.

Gajeel slowly lifted his head and gave Lucy a tired and questioning look, and grinned when her hand put a slight bit of pressure against the back of his head to silently insist that he get comfortable on her. He hummed happily while he laid his head down on her stomach, then pulled back just a bit to push her shirt up and bare the tanned flesh and perfect iron piercing he'd given her. Gajeel knew he would never get tired of seeing the little dragon piercing that Lucy wore so proudly, and he was more than willing to take advantage of any reason to feel her supple and decadent skin.

Lucy blushed while she watched Gajeel to see what he would do. She had expected him to comment on her insistence that he use her as a pillow the same way she usually did with him, but he was either indifferent towards the subject or too tired to argue. What she hadn't expected was for him to pull her shirt up until it was sitting just under her breasts. His nose brushed lightly over her bare stomach, and she barely caught the soft smile on his lips just before he kissed the iron dragon piercing in her navel. Once his head was settled on her stomach, with his slow breathing puffing out across her skin, Lucy smiled down at his wild black hair and started to run her fingers through it. "Take all the time you need," she whispered, "I'll always be here for you."

"Mmm… Bunny," Gajeel purred, one hand lightly sliding over her hip and up to her ribs as he started drifting slowly back into unconsciousness. He loved how she felt like this, and it was oddly relaxing to just take that predefined masculine role and throw it out the window while he let the petite blonde hold him. Gajeel had never really cared for those 'roles' that humanity had set for the sexes, since Metallicana taught him that female dragons were actually a whole hell of a lot scarier than males when angered enough. Sure, Lucy was always the one that laid on him, curling around him and fitting just perfectly in his embrace, but Gajeel suddenly found that lying on her was wonderful. With Lucy's scent filling his nostrils, her short nails just barely scratching his scalp while her fingers sifted through his hair, and the way her arms felt around him Gajeel actually drifted off to sleep all wrapped up in the most comforting and warm embrace he could ever remember experiencing.

"Yes, Gajeel?" Lucy whispered while she brought one hand down from his hair and placed it over his much larger one on her ribs. She stifled a giggle when all she heard in response was his deep, even breathing along with the rumbling purr that escaped him on every exhale. They stayed like that for several long minutes before Gajeel shifted slightly and threw his leg over both of hers, then nuzzled her stomach in his sleep.

"Minnne…"

Lucy had never heard Gajeel talk in his sleep, but she wasn't usually awake while he was still passed out. There had been a few times that she'd gotten up first, but he was almost always awake within a few minutes. She did know that it was common for people to talk in their sleep when they've been sleep-deprived, since they slip into a deeper state of unconsciousness than normal while their body tries to rejuvenate. Lucy never paused in running her fingers through his hair, but she was very curious to see what else he might say.

"Love… —ucy…" Gajeel sighed and nestled closer to the comforting warmth that surrounded him. "Creepy fucker… Stop talking like my Bunny."

She didn't have to wait long for him to start talking again, but it was definitely not what she'd expected. She'd thought it was absolutely precious that Gajeel was dreaming about her at first, and even when she thought she heard him mumbling that he loved her. _What the hell is he dreaming about? And who is talking like me in his dream?_

Gajeel pouted and grumbled for a few minutes before he started speaking again. "Bite, bite, bite… Do what I fucking want, asshole…"

Lucy bit her lips and closed her eyes, inadvertently stopping her hand from running through Gajeel's hair while she held her laughter back. Even in his sleep, Gajeel couldn't stop cursing. A couple more minutes went by in silence, with Gajeel only snuffling occasionally, and Lucy heard the shower turn off just before a small whimper crept out of the large Slayer that was wrapped around her.

"Don't want her to go… Gotta be careful though."

"I won't go anywhere. Why do you have to be careful, Gajeel?" Lucy whispered as she started running her free hand through Gajeel's hair again. She'd read some time back that people occasionally responded to outside voices while they were sleeptalking, so Lucy was curious to see if it would work with Gajeel.

"Not safe… Don't wanna leave a mark…"

"What mark?" Lucy asked, smiling softly at Ryos when he walked out of the bathroom in a pair of pants and a tank top while tiredly rubbing his eyes. It seemed that neither of her Slayers were really ready to be out of bed just yet. Her suspicions were only confirmed when Ryos crawled back under the covers silently and curled up on Lucy's other side, tucking his head against her ribs and Gajeel's hand and closing his eyes.

"Bite, bite, bite… Gotta talk to be a mate…" Gajeel mumbled. "Iron asshole…"

Ryos' eyes shot open and he slowly lifted his head to stare at Gajeel. The Iron Slayer was passed out while he was curled around Lucy, but he was talking almost completely normally. Well, he sounded normal, but what he was saying clearly wasn't making any sense to Lucy.

"Stop pointing that claw at me… Gonna stab you in the eye if you keep that shit up…" Gajeel silently snarled in his sleep, but once Lucy's fingers lightly massaged the furrow in his brow, he sighed and nuzzled her stomach again.

Lucy smiled down at Ryos and wrapped her arm around him when Gajeel started purring again. "Don't pay him any mind, Ryos," she whispered. "He's just really tired from yesterday." She felt Gajeel shift again, and her eyebrows shot up in surprise when his arm wrapped around Ryos as well.

"All mine…"

Lucy blushed and whispered, "All yours, Gajeel."

Ryos blinked repeatedly and looked up at Lucy, then whispered, "Do you really mean that?"

"Mean what?"

"That you're all his… You mean it?"

Lucy saw the small hopeful smile on the young boy's face, and nodded. "I do, Ryos. I can't imagine not having him in my life. No matter what happens…" Lucy smiled softly and looked down at Gajeel's serene and completely relaxed face. "I'll always find my way back to him."

"You really love him, huh?" Ryos asked while he nuzzled Lucy's side.

"With all my heart," Lucy answered. She looked up at the clock and grimaced when she realized it was only seven in the morning. _No wonder Gajeel was so tired. He hardly slept…_ "Get some sleep, okay? We'll all get up in a couple hours."

"You won't be comfortable like that," Ryos said, lifting his head again to look up at Lucy's smiling face. "I can help you move Gajeel so you can get comfortable, too…"

"I'll be fine, silly. I'll just watch over my Slayers while they get some much needed rest," Lucy whispered, brushing her hand through Ryos' hair and pulling him back down to where he'd been laying before. "I'm not tired in the slightest. This is the time I usually get up anyway."

'_My Slayers',_ Ryos thought happily. Lucy was staking a claim on Gajeel, which was entirely normal considering the relationship that she had with him, but she'd even included Ryos in it. In a dragon's eyes, Lucy saying something like that meant that she was essentially placing her protection over the two Slayers with her; granted, Gajeel didn't need her to protect him from anything, but it was still there. A statement that was let out into the universe as a warning to anyone that might try to harm either Gajeel or Ryos; a warning that screamed of hours of relentless pain from the petite blonde. Dragons only claimed certain individuals as theirs: their family. "Hey, Lucy?" Ryos whispered as he nuzzled her side affectionately.

"Yes?"

"If Gajeel asked you to be with him forever, would you?" he asked timidly, hoping he hadn't overstepped any boundaries.

Lucy blushed, her eyes going wide while she repeatedly blinked and tried to find an answer. On the one hand, the idea of spending her life with Gajeel was heartwarming, and just felt absolutely _right._ On the other hand, a small part of Lucy couldn't see it actually lasting long between them, but she wasn't sure why. "Um…" Lucy looked from Ryos' snuggly little body over to Gajeel and saw that he finally seemed to have evened out enough to stay quiet in his sleep. The longer she looked at the man she'd fallen in love with, the stronger that urge to tell Ryos 'yes' became. Gajeel had opened himself up to her completely the night before. The fact that he'd gone through so much and couldn't keep it in any longer, that he had turned to Lucy when he needed comfort, that he was apparently terrified of losing her at all—so much so that he was willing to beg her to never leave him, or do whatever she needed him to—and even how he'd thanked her not that long ago for helping him… Lucy saw yet another wall that Gajeel had constructed around his heart breaking away, and it was absolutely magnificent.

"It's… It's not really any of my business," Ryos said shamefully. "You don't ha—"

"Yes." Lucy giggled when Ryos stiffened for a moment before slowly raising his wide eyes to look up at her. "He's everything to me, Ryos. We may fight a lot, but… I just feel like I'm whole with Gajeel around. He understands me in a way that I never thought possible. I don't think there's anything that would make me happier than spending my life with him."

"Really?" Ryos whispered. _She'll say yes when he tells her! I knew it!_

Lucy grinned and nodded, leaning down carefully to press her lips to Ryos' forehead and rolling her eyes when Gajeel grumbled and tightened his grip around them. "It's weird," she whispered, "I spent a month and a half with him while I was in training, and we've only been back for a little over a week… We admitted that we love each other the night I came back from my mission… And now, two days later, I want to be with him forever." Lucy sighed contentedly and smiled down at Ryos. "What do you think about all of this?"

"It's not really my place to say anything about it," Ryos said.

"Well, I wanna hear your opinion," Lucy countered with a sly smile. "Do you approve of Gajeel and me being together?"

Ryos grinned and nodded quickly. "Yeah," he whispered, "You guys are great together. I think you make him a better person. Nicer. He'll do anything to keep you happy, and that's something he really needs."

"You seem to have some inside information on this," Lucy teased, narrowing her eyes playfully at Ryos and watching him blush.

"Well, Skiadrum always said that dragons look for someone that balances them out, someone that helps them when they need it most and calms down their instincts. Slayers have that too. I think Gajeel wants to keep you happy because it makes him just as happy to see you that way. He really loves you…"

"Well, if he has your stamp of approval, then I won't hesitate to accept the offer of spending forever with him," Lucy whispered conspiratorially. "The only problem is that we aren't even dating, so it's not like he'd ask me something like that any time soon."

"Do you want to date him?"

Lucy smiled softly and shrugged. "I don't know. Sometimes it feels like we're already doing just that, and other times it's just confusing. I already told him that I don't expect him to be romantic or anything like that; I just want him to be who he is. I'm not really concerned with figuring out how to label what I have with Gajeel, because then it just makes my head hurt."

_It's called mating,_ Ryos thought. He smiled up at Lucy, then nestled himself into her side again and sighed when her fingers grazed over his scalp. "As long as you're happy with Gajeel, I'm okay with it," he said after a large yawn. "But if he ever breaks your heart, I'll handle it myself."

Lucy frowned and said, "Ryos, you don't need to worry about things like that."

"I do," Ryos said slowly as he faded in and out of consciousness. "I'll protect… my big sister… from anything…"

Lucy gasped and took a trembling breath while a slow smile parted her lips and a few tears gathered in her eyes. _I'll protect you too, little brother._

* * *

><p>Lucy scowled at the draining water in the sink, just having finished that last of the breakfast dishes. It was almost nine-thirty in the morning, and all she could think about was the way that Levy had spoken to Gajeel the night before. Fairy Tail's Script mage didn't know a thing about <em>either<em> of them, but she'd hit a serious nerve in Gajeel and he'd snapped. After hearing every minute detail of his mission—the attack on Shadowgear, what had been said, his attack on Fairy Tail, and what he had to do to make the iron pillars and destroy the guild—Lucy fully understood why Gajeel had broken down in the shower. He'd carried too much for far too long, and it seemed that the little blunette's words kept rattling around in his head even now.

"Bunny?" Gajeel asked as he walked around the corner and into the kitchen to see Lucy glaring at the sink with a still sudsy knife in her hand. "You alright in here?"

"That fucking _bitch_," Lucy seethed, tightening her grip on the knife's handle until her knuckles turned white. "I'll kill that shitty little fucking Fairy myself if I ever see her…"

Gajeel sighed and slowly walked over to Lucy and slid one arm around her waist while his other hand loosened her grip on the knife. He laced their fingers together after carefully setting the knife in the sink, and kissed the top of her head, then whispered, "I already handled it, Bunny. Nothing's gonna happen to you. I won't let them—"

"It's not about me," Lucy nearly growled. "It's her fucking fault that your day went from bad to worse. She had no right to say any of that shit to you, especially when she has _no fucking clue_ what's really going on. Stupid fucking cunt—"

Gajeel grinned and let his hands lightly trail back and forth across her stomach, hips, and sides while Lucy continued ranting. He was a little surprised to find that her voice wasn't annoying like he'd once thought when she was bitching about something, especially when he kept hearing small feminine growls coming out of her from time to time. His inner dragon had been silent since he'd woken up from that damn dream about him really laying into Gajeel for not telling her about the mating thing yet. Once Lucy's voice started to become more hostile, her little grunts or agitated huffs becoming actual growls, Gajeel saw his dragon lifting its head as if it had seen something both intriguing and hilarious.

"—I mean, who does she think she is, talking to my Dragon like that?! I swear, I'd—"

For his part, Gajeel couldn't help but find the way Lucy was acting extremely arousing. He always loved how feisty she was, so the fact that her anger right then was because the little Fairy that he'd brutalized had made him snap the night before was just too damn hot. He had originally thought it was strange when Lucy wanted to hear what he did to those Fairies while they were fucking in the shower—although he really didn't have an issue giving in to her whims on the matter because her reactions to what he had said were mindblowing—but in that moment he fully understood just why Lucy had found it so enticing. His attack on them had been because he was protecting Lucy, and she wanted to hear what he'd done to protect her; to not only stroke his ego about the strength he had, but apparently feed into the raging inferno that was her libido from his actions. Now that the tables were turned, Gajeel was hearing what Lucy wanted to do to protect him from having to deal with something like that again. Just the thought of his little blonde spitfire going all psychotic on someone for even threatening him had Gajeel hard as a rock and wishing that they were alone in the apartment. _Yep, this is hot as fuck._ Gajeel slid his hands up her slender waist to cup her breasts, brushing his thumbs over the barely covered mounds and perfectly pebbled tips that were begging to be let out of the thin material of her tank top, and his grin widened when she subconsciously shivered and continued with her tirade.

"—I'm gonna skin her alive, cook it up, and make her little Fairy friends eat that shit. Better yet, I'll impale her skanky little asshole with a goddamn pike until it's coming out of her shit-talking mouth, and roast her like the fucking pig that she is. _Then_ I'll make them eat it!"

"God, you're so fucking sexy like this," Gajeel growled into Lucy's ear, lightly nipping at the lobe and grinding his arousal against her ass. "Keep that up, and I'll bend you over right fucking here, Bunny."

"What?"

Gajeel grinned, his hips rocking slowly against her ass and his hands massaging her breasts, as his teeth grazed over her thrumming pulse. "I said you're so fucking sexy like this," he growled again, sucking in a sharp breath when Lucy's back arched into his touch and a light moan fell from her lips. "You're starting to sound like a dragon, y'know."

Lucy's laugh was breathy as heat pooled between her legs from the way Gajeel was touching her. She was still pissed, but now all she wanted was for their clothes to be strewn across the kitchen floor so she could take him up on the offer of a proper fuck over the countertop. "Really?" she purred seductively, "How do you figure?"

Gajeel groaned and rested one hand on her hip, holding her in place while he brushed a little more forcefully against her. Even through their clothing, he could smell her arousal wafting up and into his nostrils, and without another thought Gajeel growled and bit into Lucy's shoulder almost hard enough to break the skin. Letting his lips brush over the indentations of his teeth in her flesh, Gajeel took a shuddering breath and said, "Your voice. The angrier you get over something, the wilder you sound, Bunny. Plus what you were saying… I'm starting to think you might really be a Slayer."

Lucy giggled and tilted her head to the side, stretching her neck out for Gajeel to lavish it with attention. "Maybe you're just rubbing off on me," she whispered. "So, you like it when I start plotting people's deaths?"

"As long as it's not mine, then fuck yeah," Gajeel growled before sucking a portion of her skin into his mouth and lightly biting it. He had to calm himself down and he knew it, since they still had to figure out what was going on today and Lucy needed to get dressed; however, it was insanely difficult to try and rein in his hormones with the buxom blonde whimpering and writhing against him. "Especially when you're upset like this because you care about me."

"Who's the dirty one now?" Lucy said as she swirled her hips to rub her backside against the straining member in Gajeel's pants.

"You are," Gajeel said with a smirk. He ran his nose down the column of Lucy's throat and lightly nipped at her pulse, then wrapped his arms around her waist and took a deep steadying breath. "I'm alright, so there's no need to bring out Psycho Bunny on the trash that I already took out."

"You don't seem alright," Lucy said sadly. She slowly turned around in Gajeel's embrace and brought her lips to his. "I hate that you had to deal with that."

"No worries," Gajeel replied, one hand gently cupping Lucy's neck while he looked into her eyes. "I've got you to make it better if it's really bothering me, right?"

Lucy smiled and nodded, her heart fluttering at the gentle smile on his face. Gajeel always seemed to know just how to melt her into a little puddle, whether it was with his actions or his words, and Lucy felt the last remnants of her anger slowly drifting away while she got lost in those perfectly slitted ruby orbs. "Of course, Black Steel."

Gajeel chuckled and rested his forehead against hers, then whispered, "Then that's all that matters, Bunny. You help me and I'll help you."

Lucy melted into his embrace when she felt his perfect lips brushing over hers so gently that she could hardly believe it had happened. "Well, I can't argue with that logic," she teased, "It's how you got me to kiss you that first time."

Gajeel's jaw dropped while he gaped at her. "You know I wasn't trying to get jack shit out of you that night," he grumbled.

"I know that," Lucy said, "But because I got to see that other side of you, it made me more comfortable around you. You helped me when I really needed it, and put how much we hated each other to the side."

Gajeel leaned down and brushed his nose against hers as he said, "If it had been under normal circumstances, I would have been the one to kiss you first."

"So, why didn't you?" Lucy asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Because you'd had enough guys trying to force their shit on you. I made it clear that I wanted you, but it was all in your fucking hands, Bunny," Gajeel replied, his voice soft and rumbling through his chest in a way that bordered on a growl. "I couldn't even bring myself to try and kiss you because of what had happened before that… I didn't want you to feel like I was taking advantage of you."

Lucy giggled and said, "Then why did you bite my finger?"

"Because it was annoying me," Gajeel growled playfully. "Then I smelled how turned on you were getting, and figured I'd get my point across that I was interested in fucking your brains out. Aside from that though, I wouldn't have done anything else. That's why I didn't move until you kissed me, even though all I wanted to do was take that blue lingerie and throw it into the fire, and find out just how fucking sweet your little p—"

"Gajeel!" Lucy hissed, throwing a hand over his mouth and glaring at him. "Ryos is in the other room, and he can hear you. Keep that shit to yourself."

Gajeel chuckled and lightly kissed Lucy's palm, then slowly nodded to let her know he'd keep his mouth shut. He sighed and let his eyes slide closed when Lucy's fingers gently brushed across his jaw and down to his neck.

"You're really alright, though?" she asked timidly, worrying her lower lip between her teeth.

"Not a damn thing can touch me as long as I've got you, Bunny," Gajeel said. He felt a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth when Lucy's heart sped up, a clear sign that she was definitely affected by what he'd said to her. "We'll talk about it tonight if you want. We've still gotta figure out what we're doing today."

Lucy laid her head on Gajeel's still bare chest and hugged him tightly. "We should go to the guild."

Gajeel stiffened and growled as he said, "Hell no. You're not going anywhere near the guild today."

"Why?" Lucy nearly shouted. It was always like this with them: sweet and caring one moment, then an argument starting over some random subject that ended with them either naked or cuddling (depending on where they were).

"Because those fucking Fairies are probably gonna be storming the place today to get back at us for what Master had me do!" Gajeel said through gritted teeth. "I can't have you there for them to find you."

"And you think I'm okay with _you_ being there when they attack?" Lucy asked, pushing against Gajeel's chest and scowling at him before storming out of the kitchen.

"Oi! Don't walk away from me!" he shouted as he turned to follow after the irate Celestial mage. "I've gotta be there. Not a damn thing I can do about that, since Master's gonna want _someone_ there to handle them."

"What about the Element Four?" Lucy asked, rounding on Gajeel and glaring at him with her hands fisted on her hips. "They're—"

"They're not in town," Gajeel said. "The four of them are preparing for the next phase, and all I know is that I've gotta be at the guild when the Fairies come."

"But I can't?!" Lucy screeched. "I'm not some weak piece of shit that can't handle myself, you know! Those Fairies threatened _me_ and _my_ fucking freedom! I have just as much right to snap their little fucking necks as you do!"

"Lucy," Ryos interjected softly, coming up behind the fuming blonde and wrapping his arms lightly around her waist while his head rested between her shoulder blades, "I don't want you to go either… They'll look for you there first, and if anything you and I could use their distraction at the guild to get out of town so that Gajeel won't worry… And afterwards he can find us."

Lucy was visibly shaking from her rage, which had been intensified once she felt like the two Slayers were ganging up on her. Gajeel saying she needed to stay was one thing, it was something she expected him to do. Ryos on the other hand had thrown her for a loop when he actually agreed with the iron bastard. "Ryos, I know you just want to protect me," Lucy said slowly, gritting her teeth and trying not to lash out at the younger boy. She looked Gajeel dead in the eye and continued speaking even though her throat was starting to clog with her emotions. "I know you _both_ want to protect me. I get it, really. But I can't just sit around on my ass and let everyone else do all the work. If I wanted to sit back and do fucking _nothing_, then I'd still be at my fucking dad's! You guys telling me to just stay here and let everyone else handle it is the same as him telling me to sit back so he can marry me off… I can't do that! I don't need to be locked up so you can keep me safe, and you can't fucking make me stay here! I'm not some pretty little china doll that can't handle her own shit! I'm… I-I'm not weak, damnit! I'm _not_!"

Gajeel's eyes widened when he saw and smelled the angry tears welling up in Lucy's eyes. He could see that she was fighting with everything she had to hold them back, but it was clearly a battle she was losing. He was frozen in place until she sniffled slightly and a single strangled cry fell past her lips. As if that had been the key to break his stupor, Gajeel strode quickly across the room and wrapped his arms around Lucy and Ryos, laying his head on top of hers and lightly kissing her golden locks. Lucy's hands instantly fisted against his chest, and now that he was close enough, Gajeel could feel just how much she was actually holding back. She was shaking uncontrollably while her body was wracked with suppressed sobs, and her scent was clouded with both a deep sadness and burning anger. "Shh," he whispered into her hair, "You're not weak, Bunny. That's not what this was about at all. I'm a dick for not seeing it sooner…" He paused and sighed, letting Lucy try to calm herself down a little bit before he finally said, "You're a fighter, Bunny. You've got every right to be there to make those Fairies pay for this shitstorm they're bringing down on us, and I know for a fact that you'll scare the fuck out of them for even _thinking_ of taking you away…"

Lucy hiccupped and nodded, feeling Ryos tighten his grip around her waist while he nuzzled her back. She brought a shaky hand down and intertwined her fingers with the Shadow Slayer's own, squeezing his hand slightly in silent thanks for his comfort. "I-I won't run away from th-this," she stammered through her tears. "I'm t-tired of running… It has to s-stop…"

"Please don't cry, Bunny," Gajeel said, his voice soft and soothing even to his own ears. He brought a hand up and slowly started running it through her long golden tresses while taking a deep breath. Gajeel hadn't thought that something as simple as her being told to stay put would affect her this way, and the last thing he wanted was for Lucy to feel like he was trying to keep her locked up like her own father had done. The only problem was that he felt it with every fiber of his being that her being at the guild today would end badly. If Fairy Tail was really going to retaliate, then she would be right where they could see her. They would take her away from him if she was at the guild… And Gajeel wasn't so sure he'd be able to take on an entire guild like them on his own. "I promise, we're not trying to lock you up like he did. It's just that… If you're at the guild, I'll be worried that they'll take you when I'm not looking. You'd fight like hell, but it could still happen… At least if you're here with the brat, they won't find you right away."

"But if I'm here, then you'll be worried that they got to me when you weren't around," Lucy shot back with another sniffle while she tried to calm the roiling emotions inside of herself. She turned slightly and pulled Ryos around to her side, wrapping her arm around his slender frame and hugging him tightly to her chest. "Ryos, you're still healing from Gajeel attacking you a few days ago. Plus, your magic is still unstable right now. I know that you can take care of yourself when it comes to hiding, but if you push yourself too hard you could be seriously hurt."

Ryos nodded and laid his head on Lucy's chest. "I know. There's not a lot that I can do… I want to help protect you, but I'm too weak to—"

"No," Lucy said firmly. "It's not about you being too weak, because that's not the case. You need to take care of yourself first right now before you can worry about me or anyone else." When she saw that Ryos was going to protest, the glint of determination shining brightly in his eyes, Lucy sighed and kissed his forehead as she whispered, "Gajeel will worry about _both_ of us if I'm here. If I'm at the guild, then there's no way you'll get dragged into this, and Gajeel will be there to have my back. If I stay here with you, and the Fairies come for me, then it could end badly if you try to use your magic against them to protect me."

"Damnit," Gajeel mumbled, "You've got a point, Bunny."

Lucy smiled softly and looked into Ryos' worried garnet eyes. "I won't let _anyone_ hurt you over this, Ryos. And me staying here when Fairy Tail attacks will only bring them busting down the door and doing whatever they have to so they can get to me. Gajeel and I will handle those Fairies, and as soon as it's done, we'll come home and spend the rest of the night together. Just the three of us. How does that sound?"

Ryos' eyebrows pushed together as he looked from Lucy up to Gajeel. He could see the barely concealed tension and anxiety in the older Slayer, and knew that it was from this whole Fairy Tail debacle. "How will I know if you're okay though?" he asked, looking back to Lucy and lifting his hands to brush away her tears. When she gave him a shaky smile, Ryos gave her a small smile back as he lowered his head to rest against her chest, taking in the comforting cake-like scent he'd grown so fond of.

"You'll have to trust us," Gajeel said before Lucy could respond. "You know I'll do everything I can to keep her safe while we're out, brat. Bunny's right. This is as much her fight as it is ours, and you still need to rest. Even if I hadn't kicked your ass a couple days ago, you're still getting your magic back up to where it needs to be."

Ryos nodded and sighed, clutching tightly to Lucy and feeling like a complete failure as a Dragon Slayer. Skiadrum had told him that Ryos ending the dragon's life would make him stronger, but it didn't feel like that in the slightest right then. He was too weak from not having been able to properly care for himself, and now… When Lucy needed every bit of support she could get… He couldn't help her. _How can I possibly call myself a Slayer when I can't even protect my sister?_, he silently wondered.

"Let me and Gajeel worry about them, okay?" Lucy whispered. "I know you want to protect me, but right now I have to protect you."

"But…" Ryos mumbled before his words died in his throat. But, what? There wasn't anything he could do. He was utterly useless at this point, all because he'd been left alone too early and hadn't known what to do to keep himself healthy. He had finally found people that cared about him—Lucy who he already viewed as family, and even Gajeel who showed that he didn't absolutely hate Ryos in his own way—and now it was all being threatened…

Lucy and Ryos were pulled just a little closer by Gajeel, the large muscular arms that were wrapping around them sending as much comfort as he was capable of, and Lucy laid her head on Gajeel's chest as she said, "I'll protect my little brother from anything."

Gajeel raised a pierced brow in surprise, but kept his nose nestled in Lucy's hair while she helped soothe the boy's fears. Hearing her say something like that was highly unexpected, and only added to the mental image he already had of Lucy being just like a damn dragon herself. From admitting to Gajeel the night before that she would always be his to how she'd been ranting earlier, and even now with her possessive nature over Ryos' wellbeing, it really wasn't that far of a stretch of the imagination to picture her being raised the same way the two actual Slayers had been.

Ryos slowly lifted his head to look at the softened chocolate eyes of the blonde woman who held him. _That's exactly what I was thinking before I fell back asleep earlier, _he thought incredulously. "I… Who?"

Lucy giggled and playfully brushed her nose along Ryos' as she said, "You, silly. It didn't take as long as I thought it would, but you're just like the little brother I never had. We'll never be alone again. We're family... Now and forever."

"F-Family…?" Ryos whispered, a small smile spreading across his face until it was a wide and hopeful grin. When Lucy nodded happily, Ryos couldn't help but tighten his grip on her waist and lunge forward to hug and nuzzle her with all of the affection he could muster. He had a family. Lucy was filling the void that Skiadrum had left behind, and it made Ryos feel lighter than ever.

Lucy laughed and kissed Ryos' inky black hair, then smiled up at Gajeel. "Don't think you're getting out of this, Black Steel," she teased, watching as his eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You're all mine, so—"

Gajeel chuckled and shook his head. "So that means that the brat's part of the package, huh?" When Lucy grinned and nodded, Gajeel rolled his eyes and heaved a dramatic sigh. "Well, I guess it can't be helped then. You hear that, brat? You're stuck with me now."

Ryos laughed and moved slightly so he could nuzzle Gajeel's side. It was the first time Ryos had ever tried to show any form of affection towards the older mage, and he did notice Gajeel tense for the briefest of moments. Before Ryos could question whether or not he had done something wrong—even though what he'd done was exactly how he always used to show Skiadrum how he felt about things—Gajeel's hand moved up and ruffled his hair. "Works for me," Ryos said happily.

Gajeel looked over at the clock and shook his head slowly when he saw how close it was getting to ten in the morning. "Bunny, we've gotta get going. There's no telling when those Fairies might leave, and I really don't wanna be on our way to the guild when they get here."

Lucy sighed and nodded. "Alright… Ryos, you're gonna be alright for a little while, right?"

"Yeah," Ryos answered. "I'll just read and get some rest while you guys are out."

"And you'll make sure to eat something for lunch," Lucy added firmly. "No shadows unless one of us is here, just in case. But you still need to eat regular food."

"I know," Ryos said with a small smile. "You still haven't gotten dressed, Lucy."

Lucy tilted her head to the side, then looked down to see that she had in fact stayed in her pajamas the entire time. While she hadn't thought much about it the night before, Lucy was now realizing that not wearing a bra with her tank top like she normally did was probably not the smartest thing she'd ever done. It was too late now to even be embarrassed by the fact that Ryos had probably gotten a very clear view of her breasts through the stretched fabric, so Lucy swallowed down the urge to cover herself and laughed while she smacked herself in the forehead. "I'm so blonde, sometimes," she joked as she pulled herself from Gajeel's and Ryos' grasp to gather her clothes for the day.

"You're always blonde," Gajeel and Ryos said in unison, stopping abruptly to look at one another in shock before they started laughing. Of course, their laughter only intensified—with the pair of them hanging on one another for support—when a red-faced and angry Lucy turned around only to stare at them like they had gone mad. She was obviously just as shocked as they were about what had happened, but instead of laughing about it, Lucy appeared to be stuck in the shocked phase.

Ryos glanced at Gajeel, then they both turned to look at Lucy and said, "I think we broke her."

Lucy could only stare as her Slayers fell to the ground in a fit of laughter, a gentle smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

* * *

><p>Lucy frowned at her smoothie while she was sitting at the bar, listening to the buzz of her guild mates while they all chattered excitedly about what Gajeel had done on his mission. It seemed that the previous day, while she had been away with both Gajeel and Ryos, word had gotten out about his upcoming mission to destroy the Fairies' guild. Everyone wanted to talk to him and find out just what happened, especially since the news was flying all over town that the guild had been seriously fucked up overnight, but no one was stupid enough to try and interrupt his meal. She didn't like this one bit. The threat from her father, how he was using Fairy Tail to get her back, and how she was essentially being used as a ragdoll to get pulled back and forth between the two guilds. She wanted to stay in Phantom Lord, not to be dragged back to her father's estate and sold off to the highest bidder. More specifically, she wanted to be with Gajeel and Ryos. Even if they left this guild and went somewhere else, Lucy didn't want to be separated from her two Slayers. Ever.<p>

What really nagged at her though was the meeting she'd just had with Master Jose. Something seemed off about how he was acting over the whole thing, but she couldn't place exactly what it was. Gajeel had told her that their guild master had an unresolved issue with Makarov, but this seemed like a whole lot more than that. She was positively torn between wanting to warn the Fairies that something bad was coming so they wouldn't have to suffer, and bringing down her own exacting vengeance against them for trying to steal her away from the life she'd built on her own. Lucy hated seeing people suffer, but something about this whole situation with Fairy Tail had her head wrapped around the idea that _their_ suffering wouldn't be such a bad thing. Her thoughts were convoluted and extremely conflicted, but Lucy was drawn out of herself when she heard what was going on behind her. With a dark chuckle, Lucy slowly turned around on her bar stool and sipped at her smoothie while she watched the free show.

Gajeel glanced over to the bar when he saw Lucy turning around in his periphery, and narrowed his eyes slightly when he saw the smallest little smirk pulling at one corner of her mouth. His eyes raked over her delicious little body, taking in everything from her iron-toed combat boots, up her bare and slender legs to the skimpy little black pleated mini-skirt she'd chosen for the day. Her stomach was bare as always, so Gajeel got a perfect view of the swell of her hips that tapered into her mouth-wateringly tiny waist, her Phantom Lord guild mark that was proudly displayed in that deep red that he loved to see on her, and the iron dragon that pierced her navel. He hadn't put much thought into what she'd chosen to wear that day, since it was always something that showed off all of her best physical attributes, but the red top she was wearing finally struck him as familiar when he remembered that it was the same top she'd worn to the bar before they'd gone back into the mountains. _Black and red, huh?_ Gajeel forced himself to keep going, struggling to hold himself in place when he got the silent message that she wanted him to lay her out on her back and fuck her brains out. _She knows what that shit does to me,_ he thought as he looked at her collarbones and neck to see the barely concealed hickeys and bites hidden under her flowing golden hair along with the thin iron chain around her neck that held the gift he'd given her. When Gajeel finally lifted his eyes to hers, Lucy wasn't even looking at him, but just next to him. He took another bite of metal, and his nose finally registered that someone had come up to him.

"So, Gajeel," one of the dumber and rowdier members of the guild said cheerfully, "I heard you made a mess out of the Fairy Tail guild hall…" He paused for a moment when the chatter around the guild went eerily silent, leaving only the sound of crunching metal echoing through the main room. Deciding that everyone else must be eager to hear Gajeel recount the tale, the man pushed onward. "Oh man, I wish I could've seen the looks on their faces. They probably ran away crying to their mommies! 'Boo-hoo, somebody bwoke my pwayhouse!'"

Lucy raised a challenging eyebrow at Gajeel, keeping her eyes locked onto his, and saw him snarl as he tightly clenched his teeth. There was a sickening screech of metal that sounded out through the guild followed quickly by bits and pieces of screws and metal bars clanging loudly on the tabletop. She watched a dangerous and thrilling anger rise up in Gajeel, his eyes burning with its intensity as he broke away from her gaze to look at the unlucky son of a bitch that had bothered him. A menacing growl rumbled through the room just before Gajeel's arm shot out and shifted into an iron pole, hitting the sorry guild member in the chin and sending him flying across the room. The entire guild burst out into a cacophonous fit of laughter at the one man's expense, and Lucy found herself joining in with a small giggle.

As Gajeel pulled his arm back, letting it slowly shift back into his flesh, he growled, "How many times to tell ya, I don't like to be bothered while I'm eating?!" He clenched his fists and stood up, hearing Master Jose walking down the hall from his office. "And besides," he added with a sneer, "Those little Fairy fuckers can't challenge us. We're way more powerful than they could ever hope to be."

Jose grinned and slowly clapped as he stood at the second floor balcony and looked across the guild hall at each and everyone one of his members, seeing that all of them had turned to look at him. Everyone except for Lucy. Instead of turning in her seat at the bar, the young blonde simply leaned back on her elbows and tilted her head back to smile up at him. Jose was curious to see whether or not Gajeel had done anything aside from attacking the guild hall as he'd ordered, and he knew just the way to find out. All he had to do was stroke the Slayer's ego a little bit. "The die has been cast. I compliment your excellent work, Gajeel."

Gajeel felt pride swelling in himself for the praise he'd received from Master Jose. It wasn't often that the guild master would actually openly compliment someone for a job well done, so the attack on the guild must have really impressed the man. "I didn't think we were hard enough on them, so I decided to leave them a little something extra," Gajeel replied with a wicked grin. "A present that's sure to get those Fairy's panties in a knot."

Lucy fought against the blush that threatened to dust across her cheeks at the mention of Team Shadowgear's attack. Gajeel's 'present' wasn't so much for Fairy Tail as it was for Lucy, and after his explanation over breakfast of what had transpired during his mission, she knew that he'd left them that way in particular to spread the suffering around even more. _My strong Dragon was protecting what's his,_ she thought happily.

Jose's grin matched Gajeel's and he watched Lucy slowly turn in her seat to stare at the bar in front of her. "Very good, my boy," he said. Once he was sure Lucy couldn't see him, Jose gave Gajeel a pointed look and added, "Be sure to take extra care that no harm comes to _that one_, if you please."

Gajeel chuckled darkly and nodded as he sat back down in his seat and started eating again. He watched Master Jose head back towards his office, but it didn't really matter since it was just a thought projection of the guild master anyway. Gajeel had known from the moment Jose had opened the door to his office that it wasn't him, since his scent was altogether non-existent. That could only mean that Jose was already at the guild's headquarters with the Element Four while they prepared for the next phase. Jose had openly told Gajeel to keep an eye on Lucy, and by the way she was tensed slightly, he could tell that she'd picked up on it as well. After ten more minutes of Lucy staying completely rigid, Gajeel rolled his eyes and got out of his seat. With long strides, he was towering over her, and a low growl rumbled through his chest before he hauled her out of her seat and dragged her ass kicking and screaming out into the training grounds.

"What the fuck?!" Lucy screeched once she was dropped on the ground. She carefully stood up and dusted herself off while she glared at the scowling Slayer before her.

"Talk to me," Gajeel said softly as he leaned back against the wall nearest himself and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're tense and I can smell how fucking confused you are. So, what's going on?"

"Just this waiting around bullshit," Lucy said with a sigh, mimicking Gajeel's posture on the wall next to him. "I want it to be done, but I know Master's got more than just Fairy Tail attacking us planned. Part of me wants to just take you and Ryos and go confront my father to get it out of the way, then no one will have any reason to fight over me… I hate this…"

Gajeel nodded and glanced around the training grounds, then over to the rooftop that he and Ryos had used the day before to get down from the rafters inside. "Alright, Bunny. Time for tactics," he said suddenly. Gajeel turned to face Lucy and saw both confusion and piqued interest in her eyes, and he answered her questioning gaze with a smirk. "I've gotta keep you safe, but you have every right to fight by my side against the Fairies."

"Right…?" Lucy said slowly, frowning and tilting her head to the side.

"So, I need you to follow my lead, okay?" When Gajeel saw that she looked a little uncertain, he grinned and winked at her before hauling her up over his shoulder and laughing when she squealed as he started climbing the wall they'd been leaning on. Once they were up on the roof, he carefully set her down and pulled her into a crouch next to him so they were hidden behind the small half-wall lip that surrounded the ledge.

"What are we doing, Black Steel?" Lucy whispered.

"A few things," Gajeel answered as he sat down fully and pulled her into his lap so her legs were draped over his. He grinned when she sighed and cuddled closer to him, her dainty fingers playing with the feathered sleeve on his tunic, then said, "If you're gonna be here to fight them, you need to have the upper hand. You already know what kind of magic they use, and how strong they are, but you've never _seen_ them fight. So, we'll sit up in the rafters and keep an eye on the rest of the guild fighting them."

"So, we'll let the rest of the guild handle the weaker members, maybe a couple stronger ones, and then join in?" Lucy asked softly.

Gajeel nodded and started running his fingers through her hair. "Exactly. No point in wasting our energy on the little guys. When we drop down, you hit them with everything you've got. Don't hold back, Bunny."

"Pfft, when do I ever hold back?" Lucy snorted, earning a chuckle from Gajeel.

"Good point," he growled playfully as he nestled his nose in her hair. "Aside from having a good vantage point, now you'll know where to look for the brat when he gets all stealthy on you at the guild."

"Ryos hides in the rafters?!" Lucy asked incredulously. _No wonder I couldn't find him. I never thought to look there._

"Yep. Aside from that…" Gajeel paused and lifted Lucy's chin with a finger, then captured her lips with his in a sensual caress. "I need you, Bunny. You know what black and red does to me." When he noticed the mischief gleaming in her eyes, Gajeel grinned darkly at her and was taken aback when Lucy was the one to slant her mouth roughly over his, her tongue plunging between his lips and her hands running over his chest and up into his hair. As his hands slid lower and lower on her back, finally curving over her voluptuous backside and pushing her skirt up, Gajeel broke away from the kiss to groan against her lips while Lucy started grinding her ass against the straining member in his pants. "Have I ever told you how much I fucking love your skirts?" he rasped.

Lucy laughed huskily and nibbled across Gajeel's jaw, sucking his pierced lobe into her mouth with a light moan spilling from her. "Lay down and you can show me just how much you love my skirts," she purred before licking the line of iron piercings in his ear. She forced his grip on her to loosen, then crawled off of Gajeel's lap with a devious grin on her face. His breathing was labored, his nostrils flared while he took in her arousal that she knew was intensifying by the second, and the way his vibrant crimson eyes bored into her had Lucy shuddering and lightly nibbling her lower lip. When Gajeel stayed in place, leaning against the half-wall and panting while he stared her down, Lucy raised an eyebrow and whispered, "Go on. Time to be a good dragon."

Gajeel growled at her, narrowing his eyes in warning to keep comments like that to herself, but all he saw in her eyes was intensifying lust and a small bit of amusement. "Watch it—"

"Uh, uh, uh," Lucy tutted, waving a single finger back and forth before finally bringing it to her lips. She lightly nibbled on the tip of her finger, a small and seductive smile creeping across her face when Gajeel's eyes honed in on her mouth. "Lay down, and I'll make it worth your while," she rasped, circling her tongue around and around the tip of her finger. "I want my Dragon to feel _good_. Won't you let me?"

Gajeel groaned and bit his lower lip while she teased that lucky little digit with her tongue. There was a very specific place he wanted that lithe pink muscle of hers, and it wasn't on her goddamn fingers. "Course I will, Bunny," he finally said. He carefully slid down until his back was pressed to the roof, the pair of them now completely hidden from view as long as they stayed low. The excited grin that spread across Lucy's face had his cock twitching while she eyed every inch of him, essentially stripping him bare using only those decadent chocolate eyes of hers.

Lucy knelt on Gajeel's side and brought her lips to his while she quickly undid his belt and pants after pulling her black lace panties off from beneath her skirt. Without wasting any time, because she wasn't sure how long they would have up here, she reached into his boxers and started stroking the proud and pierced member that she just couldn't get enough of while he slid his clothes down to his knees. She lifted her head, sensually licking her lips with a wicked grin that had Gajeel's eyes going wide, and planted her hands on either side of his hips while she threw one leg over to straddle his head.

Gajeel groaned when Lucy's sweet, glistening sex was hovering over his mouth, and instantly brought his hands up and around her ass to push her closer to him. Her hand had started stroking him again, but once his lips brushed over her core, Gajeel had to suppress a groan when her hot mouth closed around his shaft and started bobbing slowly. Her scent filled his nostrils with each deep breath, and he panted against her before he finally couldn't take any more and dove in like a man starved. The combination of Lucy's mouth on his cock, her arousal bursting across his tongue, and the little whimpers and moans she let out that sent shockwaves of pleasure through him had Gajeel absolutely ravenous. He devoured every bit of her and all he wanted was more.

Lucy started bobbing her head faster and faster, tucking her lips over her teeth when she felt Gajeel's control slipping. She went rigid when he plunged two fingers deep within her core while his tongue and teeth teased her sensitive nub, then moaned long and low while she tried to give him just as much pleasure as he was giving her. His mouth was driving her mad with the way his teeth would nibble at her clit only for his tongue to quickly flick over it, but Lucy could tell that she was affecting him just as much by the way he'd started grunting and thrusting his hips more urgently. Of all the things Lucy had wanted to try out, this position was definitely at the top of her list. She'd given blowjobs and had a guy go down on her, but _never_ at the same time. Mainly, it was because Gajeel was the first man she'd ever been with that seemed to love having his mouth between her legs; however another reason for her willingness to do it right now was because it was way too hard for her to keep quiet during sex. Plus there was the whole fight against Fairy Tail that was about to happen, and neither of them really needed to expend too much energy before then just in case.

"Oh, Bunny," Gajeel moaned against Lucy's dripping sex, thrusting harder into the deliciously wet cavern just behind her plump lips. One hand shot down and wrapped around the back of her neck to hold her in place, and he grinned when Lucy's hands slid around his body to massage his ass when he started moving faster. "You want me to fuck that hot little mouth?" he growled, roughly sucking her nether lips into his own mouth and moaning at how potent her arousal was already.

"Mm-hmm!" Lucy mumbled, squeezing Gajeel's rock-hard ass and pushing him forcefully down her throat. She moaned with every breath she was able to take, letting him control just what she did and not caring in the slightest just how much of her spit was coating her chin. Lucy's hips rocked in time with each of his powerful thrusts into her mouth, and when Gajeel forced her head all the way down she felt tears stinging her eyes while he rocked his own hips against her. She was torn between wanting him to pull back so she could breathe and staying right where she was so he could keep pistoning into her core with his fingers while licking and nibbling at her sensitive pearl.

"Fuck, that's it," Gajeel moaned as his fingers started moving faster and harder into Lucy's sex, his tongue flattening over her sensitive bundle so that the iron bar that speared through it could rub over her again and again. A series of tremors wracked her slender body, and he finally let her head back up enough for her to breathe when her nails started digging into the flesh on his thighs. "Mmm, just like that… Such a… mmph… good little Bunny."

Lucy whimpered again and again, feeling her body tightening in time with the swelling of Gajeel's cock between her lips. She tilted her head slightly and her eyes rolled back when he groaned and slammed his fingers deep inside of her, scissoring them quickly to bring her climax even faster.

Gajeel spread Lucy's legs wider until all of her weight was resting completely on top of him, then moved both hands to her backside and started roughly massaging those perfect cheeks while he feasted on her. His tongue plunged between her slick folds, spearing into her core again and again while he growled and started pounding into her mouth. "Fuck, I love you," he rasped against her sex, groaning when Lucy's cheeks hollowed out and she roughly sucked on him. "You're getting so tight, Bunny." His hands slid down around her ass, his arms circling over her hips, and spread her nether lips wide open while he lightly blew on the glistening skin.

Lucy's release was barreling towards her at breakneck speeds, and she could feel Gajeel hardening in her mouth as the seconds ticked by. She was on fire, and the heat that washed over her left her lightheaded. Her tongue quickly circled around his tip when he withdrew, a tangy droplet of precum settling on her taste buds, and Lucy pulled her head up and gasped when she felt a growl rumbling from Gajeel as his tongue lapped at her relentlessly, the piercings in his chin at the perfect spot to rub over her engorged bundle with every move he made. Her hand started quickly stroking his shaft, squeezing just a little while running over each piercing, while she moaned, "Oh, Gajeel… Fuck, your piercings feel so good."

Gajeel chuckled against her sex and very intentionally rubbed his chin against her clit, groaning loudly when her head dropped down to suck on him with renewed vigor. When Lucy tensed and moaned, Gajeel grinned and said, "Cum for me, Bunny. Come on. Let me taste just how sweet you are." As if his words were the catalyst she had needed to fall over the edge, Lucy's body went completely rigid while he dove in and ravaged her sex with a constant stream of growls reverberating from him as she finally crested that peak. He was surprised when she somehow managed a scream with his cock ramming down her throat over and over as he bounded towards his end, but Gajeel was quickly lost in just how different it was to feel his piercings rubbing against the roof of her mouth. Within only a few thrusts, Gajeel's hand shot down to hold Lucy's head in place when he finally found his own release, shooting stream after stream of his seed down her throat and groaning as he continued drinking down that sweet nectar from her spasming sex.

Lucy whimpered and panted while she licked every trace of Gajeel's climax from him, even sucking up the excess saliva from his shaft before moving down to lap up anything that had dripped down onto his pelvis. She grinned when he gasped and shuddered, still highly sensitive from his release, and finally lifted her head to wipe her own mouth and chin while Gajeel lightly kissed and nibbled on her thighs.

"Okay," Gajeel panted with a fully-sated grin, "If you're gonna do shit like _that_, then you can tell me to be a 'good dragon' all you fucking want."

Lucy giggled and pulled herself back to sit on Gajeel's side while the pair righted their clothes. Once his pants and boxers were situated, and her underwear was back on, Lucy crawled forward and straddled his hips then leaned down and lightly kissed him. Before he could deepen the kiss, she moved to the side and giggled as she started running her tongue across his lips and chin. "I got you all dirty, Black Steel," Lucy whispered between long strokes of her tongue as she cleaned her own climax from around his mouth.

Gajeel's eyes widened in shock, and his fingers lightly traced along her spine while he sat back and let the little sex kitten do as she pleased. Lucy was the only woman he'd been with that didn't seem to mind the taste of herself on him when they kissed, but this was definitely _not_ something he'd expected her to do. "Since when do you—"

"Shh," Lucy whispered, giving Gajeel a chaste kiss and a wink, "I wanna help clean you up." She leaned down and lightly sucked his chin piercings into her mouth, giggling softly when his breathing stuttered. After a few more languid licks, Lucy grinned and rubbed her nose along Gajeel's as she said, "All done."

Gajeel chuckled and cupped a hand around her neck, running his thumb over her cheek again and again, then said, "Such a sweet little Bunny."

Lucy sighed happily and melted into the slow and tender kiss they shared. "Only for you, Gajeel," she said, leaning down to lay her head on his chest with a sleepy smile. "By the way, I love you too. My mouth was a little preoccupied earlier."

Gajeel wrapped his arms around the beautiful blonde that was lying on top of him, and said, "Trust me, I know you do. I've been getting spoiled all damn day."

"And you'll get spoiled even more after Ryos goes to sleep tonight," Lucy added with a smirk. "You only got a little taste of that icing this morning. There's still quite a bit left, and now I'm curious to see how good it tastes on _you_."

"You're gonna lick icing off of me tonight?" Gajeel asked with wide and hungry eyes, his spent member trying to twitch back to life at the thrill that shot through him. He loved having any part of Lucy on him, but the way she worked with her tongue was just pure magic in his eyes. Never in his life had Gajeel thought that a woman licking something off of him would be so arousing, but yet again Lucy proved to be the exception.

"You're goddamn right I am," Lucy said. "Can't let you have all the fun."

"It's official," Gajeel whispered with a wide grin, "You're _definitely_ all mine, Bunny. No way in hell am I letting you go now."

* * *

><p>The mages from Fairy Tail were on a mission once they exited the train in Oak Town. There was only one huge building among the dozens of historic sites that they wanted to visit. Makarov had been appalled and ready to drink himself into a stupor over the cowardice that Phantom Lord had shown by decimating their guild hall, but the brutality that Team Shadowgear had been forced to endure was too far. He knew that Jose had an issue with him from all those years ago, over a seemingly small and insignificant argument when they were both pompous and egotistical mages. Never in all his years had Makarov thought the man would resort to something as vile as nearly killing three of his children. It was unforgivable, and the rest of his guild was more than willing to go to war over this.<p>

"Master," Erza said firmly, moving forward to walk next to the much smaller mage, "If she is still there, what would you like me to do?"

Makarov frowned and shook his head while clenching his fists. Something was off about this whole thing, he was sure of it. Why was it that they'd only just gotten word of Lucy Heartfilia being kidnapped by Phantom Lord from Levy and her team, only for Phantom to attack them the very next night? If it had only been the guild hall, Makarov would have believed it to be a coincidence. But, with Team Shadowgear still unconscious and in critical condition, Makarov could only assume that it had more to do with the heiress than he'd thought before. What kind of monster would so brazenly _carve_ the Phantom Lord symbol into someone's flesh—no, not just their flesh, but deep into their muscles? Jet and Droy seemed to be the lucky ones of the three, since they had been assured that there would be minimal to no scarring from the nightmare they had endured. Levy on the other hand… She would bear that symbol of her torment for the rest of her life from what the doctors said. Not even Porlyusica could completely heal the damage that had been wrought in that single mark. Too much time had passed, and it would take a long time for the girl to even be able to walk again after having her legs violently torn from their sockets in her hips. "If she's there, we'll take her with us," he said finally. "I have a feeling that the young woman is part of the reason they were attacked…"

"What?!" Erza gasped, her eyes going wide and replacing the stoic mask she always had in place with a purely astonished expression. "What do you mean?"

Makarov sighed and said, "Levy and her team were the ones that saw her being taken into the guild, and now they're in the hospital. This can't be a coincidence, Erza."

"I say we just burn the place to the ground," Natsu interjected with a low growl. "Forget about who's inside—"

"You idiot," Gray shouted, "There's an innocent girl in there!"

"If she's even still there!" Natsu shot back.

Loke frowned and looked over at Erza, then said, "What did you say the girl's name was?"

"Lucy Heartfilia," Erza replied. "She's an heiress that disappeared from her father's estate one month ago. The information on the request says that she has an interest in magic, so we should be careful of that just in case she's decided to start learning to use any."

Loke nodded and frowned. Something seemed familiar about it all, but he couldn't place what it was. There was something about this whole thing with the Heartfilia girl that was screaming in the back of his head that he knew her, but he'd never met the girl in his life—which was honestly saying something. He would know if he met an heiress, since they were pretty much all the same, and he hadn't wasted his time with any of those women for a long while.

"What does she even look like?" Gray asked after he and Natsu decided to save their rage for the bastards that had hurt their family. "If everyone's keeping an eye out for her, then shouldn't we know who we're looking for?"

"That is a valid point, Gray," Makarov said, giving Erza a curt nod as the path before them cleared completely. There was boisterous laughter coming from the looming building several blocks away at the end of the road, and Makarov could feel his anger rising and trying to force his magic out of control. He'd spent years perfecting his ability to change size, but it was tied very closely to his extreme emotions—like anger—and as he aged, Makarov found it increasingly difficult to keep himself in the smaller and less intimidating form he always had when he was crossed.

Erza pulled the single flyer she'd been given from beneath her breastplate and looked down at the smiling face of a very sweet blonde teenage girl. There was something familiar about her face, almost as if Erza had seen her recently, but she had no clue where or when it could have been. After only a moment, she handed the page to Gray and watched as both he and Loke stopped dead in their tracks while they looked at the picture, their faces going slack and pale in recognition. Several members grumbled behind them as they collided with the utterly still Ice Make and Ring mages, but neither moved from their spots. Erza frowned and whirled around, Makarov hot on her heels, as she said, "What is it?"

_It can't be,_ Loke thought with wide eyes. The girl in the picture was a beautiful blonde dressed in the finest of silks, a sweet and _very_ familiar smile on her face—though much more subdued than what he'd seen of it—and soft brown eyes that radiated warmth and kindness. "G-Gray… It's…"

"Shit," Gray rasped. The girl on the train the week before was pictured right there on Erza's request flyer. Lucy Heartfilia. "It's her…"

"What?" Erza asked more forcefully, stepping forward to knock some sense into the stunned men and halting in an instant when Makarov stepped in front of her.

"Tell us, children. What do you know?" Makarov asked firmly.

"M-Master," Loke whispered, slowly meeting Makarov's eyes and taking a shaky breath. "Gray and I saw her on a train last week heading to Magnolia… She said… That she was looking for Celestial Keys… And going from town to town…"

"She didn't act like an heiress," Gray added absently. "She broke a guy's nose on the train."

Makarov raised an eyebrow at the two, then said, "That seems to fit with the description I was given by Levy. It seems this girl acts nothing like what we would expect of someone with her upbringing."

"How so?" Erza asked.

Makarov chuckled, just the barest remnants of amusement and all he could muster in that moment, then said, "She apparently has a mouth worse than Laxus. Then again, that could have been because she was being hauled off to Phantom Lord on someone's shoulder."

Natsu glanced down at the picture and instantly saw just how nice the girl seemed to be. It was in her eyes and in her smile. There were a lot of things he didn't know, but one thing he was really good at was getting a read on people. "Who knows why she'd act like that?" he asked nonchalantly. "Let's get to Phantom Lord and help her out! Plus, we still need to get those Phantom bastards back for hurting our family!"

There was a resounding cheer as the march was continued towards Phantom Lord's guild hall, each of Fairy Tail's present members filled with determination to not only help the innocent girl that had been kidnapped, but to also avenge their guild mates and the pride of Fairy Tail as a whole.

* * *

><p>Ryos stretched as he woke up, having decided that he would take Lucy and Gajeel's advice and get some much needed rest. After the couple had left to go to the guild, Ryos decided that he would just sit and read for a little while. The stress and anxiety was palpable while Lucy and Gajeel were still there, and it hadn't abated in the slightest after they left. He hadn't been able to focus on reading whatsoever, because he found himself sitting and listening intently for any sounds of Fairy Tail's arrival at the guild. Based on stories he'd heard about that guild, they were destructive and insane. Which meant that the Fairies attacking the guild would result in lots of explosions, he was sure.<p>

Because he hadn't been able to sit still and read, Ryos took a nap. There wasn't much else that he _could_ do while he was at Lucy's house, since she was the one that made it fun to be there in the first place. He would be forever grateful for her hospitality and kindness, and loved sleeping in her bed. It was perfect, and smelled just like her. He still didn't understand how she could possibly smell just like cake, but he wasn't complaining once his senses were filled with it. Lucy's scent was positively soothing in a way he hadn't known since losing his father, and Ryos knew that he would always cherish the bond he'd formed with the sweet (and sometimes terrifying) blonde.

A single glance at the clock told him it was nearing lunch time, so Ryos stood up and made himself a quick sandwich, then another. Since he'd started actively eating shadows, now that he understood how to do it, he wasn't nauseated or sick at all. He knew that he had a long way to go before he was anywhere close to being like Gajeel as far as his magic was concerned, but Lucy was right about the fact that he needed to regain his strength. Luckily, Ryos' appetite for normal food was returning since he didn't get sick just from eating a few slices of partially stale bread now, so two rather large sandwiches and a glass of juice seemed like a feast in comparison.

As Ryos washed the few dishes he had dirtied in making his lunch, he quietly chuckled when he remembered just how astonished he had been when Lucy had cooked dinner for the three of them his first night at Lucy's. She hadn't been in the kitchen for long, and the smells of the food she was cooking were absolutely amazing, but his jaw had dropped to the floor when she walked out with three steaming plates of food—two in her hands and one on her arm—with vastly varying amounts of food on them. Lucy's plate was portioned normally, as was Ryos', and when he'd been worried about trying to finish everything she'd given him, the blonde had simply patted his arm and said that he should eat what he could and then she would put the rest in a container for him to heat up later on when he was hungry again. Gajeel's plate, on the other hand, was piled high with food, and Ryos had even seen a few screws and bits of metal thrown into it here and there.

Not only had it been surprising that Lucy had made so much food to begin with, or that she seemed to understand just what Ryos needed since she'd given him a good bit of plain rice to help with his queasiness, but the sheer amount of food that Gajeel had been able to take in was absolutely astounding. The older Slayer had three humongous servings of Lucy's cooking, and there was still food left over afterwards. Ryos knew that his metabolism fed into his magic, so the stronger he was the more of both his element and regular food he would need to consume, but it just didn't make sense when he actually _saw_ another Slayer eating so much.

A loud explosion followed by shrill screams yanked Ryos from his memories, and his eyes went wide while he tried to figure out what was happening. After less than a minute of eerie silence outside of the apartment, there were even louder explosions that seemed to rumble through the town and rattled the dishes that were still drying in the rack on the counter. "Lucy…" Ryos whispered worriedly, biting harshly on his lower lip while he tried to remember that Gajeel had told him to trust that Lucy would be protected. She was the Iron Slayer's intended mate, so of course he would do everything to protect her. But… Lucy was also Ryos' sister, his only family, and his inner dragon was pleading with him to find out what exactly was happening.

There wasn't a whole lot of anything that Ryos could do if he went down to the guild. He wasn't strong enough right now to try and fight against any of the Fairies, but he could feel it in his gut that if they threatened Lucy… He would use every last bit of the strength and magic he possessed to keep her safe from harm. He was torn between going to find out if Lucy was alright and staying home at her request. After another even louder explosion sounded, Ryos jumped and got himself dressed as quickly as possible, fastening his new sword that he hadn't even been able to learn how to use properly yet to his belt. Once his shoes were on, Ryos looked around the apartment again and his eyes finally landed on the window. He could just go up to the roof and be able to see what was happening at the guild. Technically, he wasn't leaving the building so Lucy couldn't get upset with him. He just needed to know what was going on.

Once Ryos was up on the roof, he gasped in horror when he saw several large plumes of black smoke rising from the guild hall only a few blocks away. People were running away in fear down in the street below, very few actually willing to stand and gawk at the spectacle of a war between guilds, and their screams only added to the sense of dread that filled Ryos' small frame. Lucy was in there somewhere. She was fighting the ones that threatened to take her away. "God, please be okay, big sister," Ryos whispered, sitting down and pulling his knees to his chest while he whimpered and watched the guild from a distance.

* * *

><p>Lucy frowned and leaned back against a pillar as her legs swung lazily from the rafter she was perched on. Fairy Tail had broken down the doors of the guild and everyone below had immediately jumped into an all-out brawl. The Fairies were wiping the floor with the Phantom members below, and it just made Lucy sick. She and Gajeel had only been inside for a few minutes before they finally arrived, and she was waiting for the Slayer to give her the word to drop down and join the fun. Apparently, she and Gajeel were the two most powerful mages present, since he'd told her outside that Master Jose wasn't even at the guild today—that what he'd said to them all earlier was only a thought projection, and he was really at the guild's headquarters.<p>

"Jose!" Makarov bellowed, his eyes glowing a brilliant yellow while he towered over the pathetic runts that had dared to hurt his children. "SHOW YOURSELF!"

Lucy raised an eyebrow at the gigantic guild master and felt a trickle of fear run through her. She and Gajeel were perfectly placed far away from the old man's destructive path, but it didn't make him any less scary. _No wonder he's one of the Ten Wizard Saints,_ she thought in wonder, _He's a monster._

"Arggh!" Erza shouted as she requipped to her Flame Empress armor and started another series of attacks on the Phantom members. "Tell me! Where can I find Gajeel and the Element Four?!" If anyone would know where Lucy was at, it would be the highest ranking members of the guild. Based on the description Levy had given Erza of the man that had kidnapped Lucy, Erza knew it was Black Steel Gajeel himself. If the Requip mage could find him, then she was sure that he would point her in the right direction concerning Lucy's whereabouts. Even if she had to beat it out of him.

Gajeel chuckled and shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest while he glanced over at Lucy. "Ah, the legend herself: Titania Erza. I guess Laxus and Mystogan are too scared to play. Or do they not care?"

Lucy giggled and shook her head, drawing Gajeel's attention to her and giving him a sweet smile. "Laxus is a prick that only seems to give a shit about himself from what I've heard," she said, "And Mystogan is probably the most mysterious of all the members. No way would either of them have showed up for this."

"Either way, Master Jose knew exactly how this was going to go down. Looks like they're pretty good fighters… for a bunch of bitch babies," Gajeel retorted with a smirk, reveling in the sweet laugh that bubbled out of Lucy.

"See? Now you understand what a bitch baby is," Lucy teased.

Gajeel chuckled and shook his head at her. "Only because some psycho decided to enlighten me." He watched Lucy slowly stand up and slink across the rafter they were both on until she was standing directly in front of him with a sensual gleam in her eyes. "Damn, Bunny," he whispered, pulling the feisty blonde into his arms until she was flush against his chest.

"What?" Lucy asked innocently, nibbling on her lower lip while her hands trailed up Gajeel's chest.

"You're insatiable," Gajeel replied with a wicked grin. "I can smell just how hot you are. What, is all that fighting turning you on?"

"Not nearly as much as it would if _you_ were doing it," Lucy whispered. "What did I say about calling me crazy?"

Gajeel chuckled and brought her lips to his, instantly plunging his tongue into her waiting mouth and deepening the kiss when Lucy moaned. He trailed a series of short kisses over to her ear, then whispered, "No point in denying it. You're fucking insane." When Lucy huffed and pouted, Gajeel grinned and continued, separating his words with soft kisses. "My beautiful…" A kiss to her cheek. "Intelligent…" Another to the opposite cheek. "Sweet…" A kiss to the tip of her nose. "Psychotic little Bunny." His lips hovered just over hers as he watched a blush dusting across her cheeks and a soft smile pulling up the corners of her mouth. "Crazy enough to stick with me and kick some Fairy ass. All with a smile on your face."

Lucy nearly got lost in those crimson eyes that were openly shining with pure adoration, but just before she closed the distance between them, she whispered, "Crazy enough to want you forever."

Gajeel was utterly shocked by what Lucy had said, but he still found it in himself to wrap his arms tightly around her and crush the petite woman to his chest while his mouth ravaged hers. _She wants me forever?,_ he thought incredulously. Sure, he had hoped that she would agree to be his mate, but he also figured that it would come with a long argument over him not telling her sooner, followed by fuck only knows how long it would take her to decide what she wanted to do about it. Lucy saying something like that, in that moment, had Gajeel itching to be inside of her. He suddenly wasn't afraid to tell her at all, but he definitely wasn't going to do it right before they went into a serious fight. Afterwards? Definitely. Possibly even right after it was done, before they even went home to spend the rest of their night with Ryos. He wanted her, all of her, and now all he had to do was wait until the Fairies had been handled and Gajeel would gladly lay it all out for Lucy. Hell, he wasn't even worried about dealing with her old man before telling Lucy about wanting her as a mate. If she said yes, then the fucker wouldn't be able to do a damn thing to keep them apart. With Fairy Tail out of the way, Gajeel wouldn't have a care in the world concerning Lucy's freedom, and their shared happiness, because he'd always keep her safe.

Clearly, Lucy had done _something _right based on the way that Gajeel had started feeling her up. She wasn't entirely sure what it was that she'd done to make him lose control like this, but she sure as shit wasn't going to complain about it. Lucy had already admitted once that she was a 'psycho' to Gajeel, but that was because he was the only person that said she was crazy and actually meant it in a good way. Everyone else? Yeah, not so much. She could barely hear the random explosions that were happening beneath them between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail while she succumbed to every flick of Gajeel's deliciously pierced tongue as it danced with her own, and when he finally pulled away she instinctually followed him, wishing to prolong the wonderful torture he subjected her to.

Gajeel growled and lightly nibbled on Lucy's lower lip. "Once this shit's done, I'm gonna fuck you so hard you won't be able to walk for a week," he rasped.

"I hope that's a promise," Lucy purred, finally finding the will to put a little bit of distance between herself and Gajeel.

"Damn right it is," Gajeel replied, glancing down at the fighting below them and grinning when he saw the little Fairy guild master knocking Phantom members out of his way like flies as he ascended the stairs. _Just like Master Jose said he would,_ Gajeel thought.

"Erza, I'll leave the rabble to you!" Makarov shouted when he finally reached the second floor. Once he heard Erza's affirmative reply, he lowered his voice and scowled. "Jose must be lurking on the top floor. When I find him there'll be hell to pay."

Lucy's grin matched Gajeel's when Makarov used a portion of his magic to completely decimate the doors on the second floor that led towards Master Jose's office. She giggled softly and laced her fingers with Gajeel's, looking up into his eyes lovingly while she whispered. "Soon, Black Steel? I need some Fairy blood on my hands."

"Just a little longer, Bunny. We've gotta wait for Makarov to get far enough away," Gajeel answered, raising their linked hands and pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. He let her hand go and moved so her back was pressed to his chest, his arms loosely wrapped about her waist and his head on her shoulder. "Time to get in the right mindset," he whispered, grinning when Lucy shivered. He knew that he had to get the both of them thinking about the task at hand and not what they wanted to do later on. He needed to focus on his rage to take these little pieces of shit down, and Lucy was always a much better fighter when she was pissed and trying to kill everything.

"How so?" Lucy asked, watching the fighting continue and narrowing her eyes when she saw the Card mage, Cana, using three cards to hit several guild members with jolts of electricity.

Gajeel growled and said, "They're trying to take you, Bunny. They don't give a fuck that you're happy here, that you ran away for a good fucking reason, or that you'll be miserable if you go back there. If they win, you'll lose everything: me and Ryos, your keys, the guild, your freedom, your choices. Those Fairies are trying to force you to go back to your old man's so he can treat you like a whore." While he was talking, Lucy's hands had been lightly trailing over his forearms, but as he continued her grip on them tightened until her nails were digging into his flesh.

"They won't win," Lucy ground out.

"They will if we don't fight," Gajeel countered. "You're mine, Bunny. I won't let you get away, and I'll kill anyone who even tries."

"So will I…"

Gajeel's growl deepened as he added, "If you're gone, I'll be lost again. You're what makes me happy, Bunny. If they take you away, and I can't get you back, I'll be alone. I told you that I can't lose you, and it'll kill me if it happens. I need you to protect what's yours, Bunny. Don't let them—" He stopped talking completely when he felt Lucy's nails breaking the flesh in his arms while her body shook from the rage that was pouring off of her. While he was already well on his way to killing every single Fairy in sight, with his inner dragon standing tall and proud inside and ready to jump into the fray, Lucy was a whole other story. It seemed that the motivation she needed was exactly what Gajeel had said, and he found that it wasn't all that shocking that he'd told her the truth of what would happen to him if she was taken away. Gajeel was willing to protect Lucy no matter what, and he needed her to protect him as well. She'd stolen his heart, and Gajeel needed her to protect it fiercely, because if his Bunny was ripped from his life, he had no clue what would happen to him.

"That. Won't. Happen," Lucy seethed. After a few short breaths, she said, "You protect me, and I'll do the same, Gajeel. You'll never be alone again, and I'll make sure those little fuckers understand just that."

"You're goddamn right," Gajeel agreed with a nod, glaring down at the Fairies that had threatened everything that was his. "Now that their little boss man's outta the way, it's about time we throw ourselves into the mix, don't you think?"

Lucy nodded and rested a hand over her new whip, complete with Gajeel's own iron for the spikes that were jutting out along its length. "Make me proud, Black Steel," she whispered.

"I always will, little Bunny," Gajeel said, nuzzling her neck for only a second. "It's show time."

With a wicked grin and a thrill of excitement, Lucy felt Gajeel loosen his grip on her waist only to grab her hand and jump off of the rafters. Once they were in the air, Lucy could hear him cackling wildly, and she couldn't help but mirror it with a light and sadistic laugh. These Fairies had no clue what kind of hell they had unleashed in threatening her and Gajeel's happiness, but Lucy was determined to show them just what happens when you cross Phantom Lord.

* * *

><p><strong>That's it for this chapter, everyone! I know, I said previously that this would be where the fighting really got heavy, but there was more that I wanted to explore and this is what happened. I've got two little one-shots lined up to write next before I return to this story, plus school work that I've been neglecting a little bit, so you may have to wait a tad bit longer than normal for the next chapter. I'll be sticking as closely as possible to what happens in the anime (which, this chapter ends right at the end of Episode 21), although there will obviously be some changes because of the nature of the story. You'll see…<strong>

**Please let me know what you all think! Review, Follow, Favorite! I love you guys! ~~GemNika.**

**If you haven't already done it, please check out the other ladies of the Crack Fiction Liberation Army. We're currently planning several events that will occur over the next few months, and we've created an archived community of sorts for you all to find each of the CFLA Collaboration pieces more easily! These ladies are geniuses when it comes to writing, and I highly recommend each of them if you're interested in a great read! **


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